


Chaos Chosen

by but_why_not



Series: Chaos Barren [2]
Category: Sonic Boom (Cartoon), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Chaos Barren AU, Cool Uses of Chaos, Endgame Sonadow, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Humor, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Slow Burn, The Blue Devils, like glacial, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:33:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 42,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/but_why_not/pseuds/but_why_not
Summary: Sequel to Chaos BarrenBalance is slowly being restored to his world as Sonic begins to tap into powers he could never even imagine before. Life almost seems to return to normal. With some new additions, Hedgehog Village returns to its sleepy self.But between helping the echidnas rebuild the remnants of their civilization and figuring out how to deal with the sudden chaos energy in the world, Sonic has his work cut out for him.Light and darkness loom beyond the stars, their arrival threatening to unravel the budding peace. And if Sonic and Shadow want any hope of surviving it they'll need to learn to work together before the balance can come undone.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Chaos Barren [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864075
Comments: 98
Kudos: 161





	1. Down in the Forest

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! Thank you for your patience, there will be more detailed notes at the end. But if you are a new reader, I would recommend reading the first story, as it'll set up the world for this one!

Dark boots scrabbled against smooth polished stone. Nearly slipping on his face, the hedgehog grabbed onto a pillar, whirling the corner and nearly crashing face first into someone.

“Sorry!” He called out over his shoulder, already sprinting down the hallway and wincing at the grumbling tones of the guardswoman he’d narrowly dodged. The Guard could be very touchy at times.

_I’m late, I’m so late!_

The welcoming ceremony had started _five minutes ago_ but he’d been so caught up in his training he hadn’t heard the tolling from the high tower. They were welcoming royalty too, some princess here for her pilgrimage and another warrior who wanted to try his hand at joining Inti’s Guard.

He highly doubted they might succeed. The Guard was _highly_ competitive and as there hadn’t been a Sentinel in five hundred years they were loath to let their ranks grow. The Sentinel position couldn’t exist without an Ethereal and they’d been without one for so long now...

Sliding across polished marble, he skid to a halt, stopping in front of two grand doors. He adjusted his quills frantically, trying to come up with an excuse that might save his hide, but none came to mind.

Giving into his fate, he sighed. The door cracked open without a peep, allowing him to slip inside the hall.

He held his breath, trying to take in the layout of the situation while maintaining as calm a face as possible. 

No one was looking. So far so good.

Weaving through the procession of people that lined the hall- no doubt eager to get a glimpse of the princess and potential recruits- he made his way to the front, smoothly slipping behind the High Priestess.

Immediately, she shot him an icy look. He did his very best not to flinch at it. How had she heard him? He’d been silent as a shadow!

“Silver.” Her tone was low and pleasant, but he knew better. “You’ll have to explain this tardiness to me later… _in detail.”_

Silver swallowed before answering. “Yes, High Priestess.” 

He should have known he wouldn’t have been let off easy. Still, this was a pretty important ceremony, very few people were ever accepted onto the planet for a pilgrimage. The fact that this newcomer was royalty meant nothing, but after five hundred years in isolation, the planet had little by little begun to accept pilgrims again to their sacred halls.

He tugged at the robes. Silver preferred to forgo them usually them but this ceremony was _important_ and he had to look the _part_ of a priest-in-training and blah blah-

“Stop fidgeting.” The High Priestess murmured without even turning around. Hands snapping to his side, Silver nonetheless caught a sliver of a fond smile on her face before turning fully to face the group that had just entered flanked by the guard escort.

“Welcome!” Stepping forward, the purple hedgehog spread her arms in an open gesture. She walked down the steps until she was level with the party. “We are happy to welcome you to our planet and temple.”

A tall figure stepped forward. Elegant and poised, she bowed to the High Priestess, as was proper. The princess was a guest here after all, and due to their shared faith she would have to defer authority while visiting.

“Thank you for allowing me to complete my pilgrimage at the birthplace of our shared faith, High Priestess Aleena” she looked up from her bow. “I am Princess Blaze, but as I understand, my rank matters not upon my visit.”

Silver tried to not crane his neck, but he could almost imagine the High Priestess’ smile as she answered.

“No. But you will still be treated as an honored guest while here. It’s been a long time since we opened our warp ring portals to others beyond communication, trade, and battle, in the most unpleasant of cases. I hope you’ll forgive the hubbub surrounding your arrival.”

The High Priestess turned to the Guardsmen who had escorted the princess into the hall. “And we have some potential initiates into the Guard?”

Nodding, the captain gestured towards the group who had entered behind the princess.

“A couple of repeats.” he said quietly, “these are the new arrivals seeking entry into Inti’s Guard, High Priestess.”

“That will be for the Guard Master and general to decide,” the High Priestess said simply. “Many have visited in hopes of joining the Guard. They may try as they wish, as many times as they’d like but I must warn you” she smiled, though not unkindly. “The Guard Master’s general is one of the most skilled I’ve ever seen.” 

Silver resisted the urge to pull a face. Sure, the Guard Master’s prized student and youngest general was _good_ but the green hedgehog was also rude and uncouth and an absolute brute in battle. Silver already felt bad for potential initiates.

“Now. Seeing as you’re here you will need an escort-”

Ah, finally. Silver tuned out at this. The High Priestess would likely assign one of the younger Guard members for this duty. It was a boring one, all they’d do would watch the princess meditate, take her meals, pray to Inti-

“- and that will be none other than Silver the Hedgehog, my very own pupil.”

Oh gods.

Feeling like a stiff, wooden doll, Silver turned to see all eyes in the room now on him. The High Priestess sported an amused smile that she quickly composed. Princess Blaze however, stepped forward, a frown on her face.

“High Priestess, I assure you I will likely not need any escort-”

“Nonsense,” the purple hedgehog interrupted, quills clinking together as she shook her head, “he would be delighted to. After all, there’s not anyone as knowledgeable or _responsible_ as my own pupil. Isn’t that right, Silver?”

Forcing a smile to his face, Silver nodded. “It would be my honor, princess. Truly.” Damn, there went his plans for the next three months! Silently, he mourned the loss.

The cat seemed hesitant, but nodded after a moment. Silver couldn’t blame her. The High Priestess was a very commanding woman. Kind, but commanding, she was very good at getting her way. The princess never stood a chance.

Clapping her hands together, Aleena smiled brightly at the cat princess, stone bracelets clinking pleasantly on her wrists. “Please, let’s show you to your rooms. There is much to be done.”

Darting forward, Silver fell in step with the High Priestess as she led them out of the room, the formality washing away the moment they swept out of the hall and chatter booming to life behind him.

Silver snuck a glance towards the princess, but she kept her eyes trained on the sights before her, occasionally answering any questions the High Priestess directed towards her with militarized efficiency.

Behind them, the potential new recruits were led away to the training halls of the Guard.

“Would it be possible to view some of their training?” Blaze asked, craning her head to get a look at the guards. Many were hedgehogs, but with such a diverse population it wasn’t odd to see different species join. “Some of the fighters seemed promising.”

Aleena hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t see why not. Silver? You don’t mind, do you?”

She knew he disliked the training halls… specifically the general. Stuck up git. But he shook his head, smiling brightly.

“Not at all, High Priestess.” Silver sucked in a long, slow breath as she nodded and looked forward again. A long three months indeed.

Star systems away, Scarfz friends’ ride back to the mainland was nothing less than rowdy. The shorter Knuckles kept yelling at Tails whenever the fox would turn around to jump in on the erratic story telling between the group, each person filling in the gaps with their own account.

“We camped out in the library after the beam struck,” Amy bragged, “and apparently Tikal knows how to read some ancient echidna!”

“Please, it’s truly not that big a deal-”

“What!” The taller Knuckles punched her shoulder, startling Tikal. “You basically found the book we needed.”

“Well, that was actually-”

“That was _actually_ the key we needed.” Amy preened on Tikal’s behalf. Tikal brushed her quills back, a small smile blooming slowly. She’d never had such attention. It was… nice.

The plane landed smoothly, Tails already having had plenty of time to accustom himself to the controls of the plane.

Following Buck out of the plane, a tall, dark shape caught Scarfz’ eyes. Shadow had already hopped off the plane, moving away from them in a hurry. He still had questions!

“Shadow, where you going?” Scarfz knew the hedgehog was in no mood to talk, but after that weird outburst at the top of the shrine he just needed to know what was going on. The black hedgehog had seemed spooked. Something had happened when Fleetway had saved him, but he didn’t know what. The gem in his arms weighed down like a memory.

“Away from here.” Shadow growled. “I’ve had my fill of craziness for a lifetime.” And before Scarfz could open his mouth again, the hedgehog was gone.

A hand clapped his shoulder and Buck leaned against the lankier hedgehog, smiling reassuringly. “Give him time, he’ll come around. Don’t take it to heart, kiddo.”  
  
Scarfz frowned. “I’m older than you.” But when Buck gave him the _flattest_ stare, he suddenly wasn’t sure. “I think.”

“When you can beat me in a race, I’ll stop calling you kiddo.”

Wachowski perked up at this, mischievous smile growing across his face. “So… does this mean _I_ can call you ‘kiddo’, Buck?”

Buck, to his credit, didn’t miss a beat. “Sure, that also means you can call Shads that too.”

But Shadow only shrugged. “If that’s what he wishes to call me, I won’t stop him.”

“What?! No fair Shads, it took me forever to get you to be okay with _my_ nickname.”

“As I recall it, I never gave an okay. You just went ahead with it.”

Chuckling, Scarfz shifted the gem in his hands to the other arm. It would be time for them all to return soon. But now that he was healed, Scarfz wasn’t too eager to see them go.

“Whaddaya say then, Scarfz?” A peach arm slung around his shoulder, Buck all but hanging off before Scarfz lowered his body to be level with the shorter hedgehog.

“To being strangled? I think I object. Ow!” He flinched as BB poked his side. Finally catching his attention, the small hedgehog perked up, running over to flip on the switch to the machine Scarfz recognized as U.T. and signing rapidly.

_“Next time we meet up we’re having that race. Tails will make communication devices. Buck and I can drop them off.”_

“It sucks we’ll have to wait to meet up.” Wachowski pouted, ears drooping slightly.

“Ah, it won’t be so bad.” Buck placed his hands on his hips. “Besides, it’ll fly by!”

Scarfz snorted. “I bet it will. I’m sure you guys have your own hands full with your own nutty god of chaos back home.” He chuckled.

It soon died in his throat at the look the other three gave them. Wachowski, he could understand. He didn’t even _live_ on his own Mobius. But Buck and BB? He was sure he’d heard them mention it at some point.

“Do you-” Scarfz cleared his throat awkwardly. “Do you not have that?”

It was BB who answered first, the machine translating the signs before anyone could stop it.

_“We absolutely, motherfucking do not-”_

“BB!” Buck ran over to switch the machine off, but Wachowski was already howling with laughter, hand raised in a high five as BB danced out of Buck’s range.

Even Shadow seemed amused by their antics, his usual frown looking replaced by the slightest curve of a smile. It looked near alien to Scarfz.

Once the laughter died down, Buck looked uncertainly at the ground. It was well over forty-eight hours that he’d stayed. They’d all have to head back soon-

“Hey, what’s the big idea!” Sticks marched over, the badger placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently. “We’re all waiting for you lot! I’ve only got til 5:00 for my garbage rummaging slot and I’m not letting Dave beat me to the best spots _again_.”

Scarfz turned to face his counterparts, bandaged hands on his hips. “Well? What do you guys say to one more meal before you have to head home?”

The answer he got was three flashes of blue streaking by him, the hedgehogs stopping beside Sticks excitedly.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Wachowski called out, hopping easily over BB’s indignant form.

Buck laughed as he knelt into a running stance, shooting the tallest hedgehog a smile. “Keep up this time, will ya?”

Growling playfully, Scarfz matched the shorter hedgehog’s stance-

-and was _not_ prepared for the crack of the sonic boom that propelled him forward. Yelping, he stumbled for a moment before catching himself, his feet finally catching up to the momentum.

He had never moved this _fast_ before, but it felt good and right. Scarfz felt a wild grin bloom across his face as he moved past the forms of Wachowski and BB. Wachowski let out an indignant squawk, pumping his legs faster to keep pace with the taller hedgehog.

Before they knew it, they were at the open air fast food restaurant, Buck and BB stopping behind them not even a second later.

“You been holding out on us, Scarfz?” Buck asked the older hedgehog with a friendly punch to his arm. Scarfz snorted and shrugged.

“I wish, I’ve never moved that fast.”

“Well, Fleetway _did_ say he’d been healing your body. Maybe this is supposed to be your speed now?” Wachowski offered after a moment.

“Well, whatever he did, it’s sure gonna come in handy once Eggman goes back to his old tricks. No doubt he’ll try something crazy to cement his ‘evil arch-nemesis’ status again.”

“Nothing Sonic and team can’t handle though.” Buck stated confidently. “Now let’s grab some chow.”

Joining the rest of the team at the table, Amy, Sticks, and Knuckles wasted little time pushing tables closer together to make room for the new additions of the other three Sonics, a Shadow, another Knuckles, Tikal, and her father.

Dave the Intern invariably messed up their order and to no one’s surprise BB was already gearing up for the hand-sign smack down of the century, held back by a bored looking Knuckles.

But it was Shadow who calmly stood up, took the intern aside, and spoke with him quietly and briefly. Once he returned, Shadow looked pleased with himself while Dave looked terribly pale. 

No more orders were messed up that day.

“Geez,” Amy sighed contentedly after her third ‘complimentary’ burger. “You need to teach me how to do whatever you did. A lady could get used to this kinda life.”

Shadow snorted, the ghost of a smile on his face. Buck leaned back in the chair beside Shadow, hands placed around his belly. If he wore pants, now would be the time to loosen them to make room for round two.

“He’s not this nice all the time, don’t be fooled.”

“I stopped trying to kill you, didn’t I?”

“Only because you kept failing at it.” Buck quipped lightly, leaning forward to snatch a fry off an unsuspecting BB’s plate. Only to jerk his hand back when the round hedgehog snapped at his fingers, quick as a viper.

“Betrayed by my own mini me!” Buck gasped dramatically. He turned large eyes to Wachowski. The kid looked between his own food and the other’s empty tray before offering up the fries he had left.

Scarfz snickered at Buck’s suddenly conflicted expression. He clearly hadn’t expected the kid to offer up anything. Much less the whole tray.

Buck looked a little helpless, glancing between Wachowski, Scarfz, and Shadow, who’s face all but screamed ‘if you take his fries they won’t find your body.’

Jumping to his feet, Buck brushed the crumbs of his meal off his mouth. “I’ll just get more! Eat your fries, kid.” And to his credit, he didn’t flinch as the table erupted into laughter behind him

Wachowski looked a little lost himself, but amidst the laughter and warmth, he smiled nonetheless.

Buck, his Shadow, his Knuckles, Wachowski, and BB all lined up outside the hangar. It was well past time to leave, but the hedgehogs were all dragging their feet despite this.

“Find a way to get in touch.” Scarfz reminded Buck. “Tails will work on what he can from here too.”

“I will.” Buck nodded, before smiling a bit sadly. “Let’s make sure our next meeting isn’t quite so serious.”

“I second that.” Scarfz laughed.

Goodbye’s exchanged, the group paired up. Beaming brightly, Wachowski waved goodbye to Scarfz and the rest before disappearing in a bright flash of light.

Scarfz stared at the now clear space for a moment before shaking his head, mussed quills even more in disarray now. He looked back towards his friends, who all gave him varying smiles.

“Right, any other plans for today?” He asked as briskly as he could. To his surprise, Amy nodded, turning towards Tikal and Old Tucker.

“Will you two be staying with us? My house has plenty of room and uh,” her eyes darted to Sonic and Knuckles for a moment. “I actually have furniture.”

“I have furniture!” Scarfz protested indignantly.

“A single hammock doesn’t count as furniture!”

Knuckles frowned. “Wait, you guys have furniture?”

 _"You_ were the one who decided to ‘live in nature’, Knux.” Scarfz said dryly. Tikal giggled at that.

“Acted like a true echidna, after all.”

It took Amy little time to sweep the two away with a called out promise that they’d all meet at her place the following morning for breakfast and plan making.

_Pfft. Planmaking._

Sonic turned to Tails. The fox had been a bit subdued ever since lunch. He’d chalked it up to post-meal sleepiness but now Sonic wasn’t so sure.

“You all good, Tails?” He reached out to ruffle the other’s messy fluff of fur at the top of his head. And instead of leaning away from the touch like he normally did Tails seemed to relax.

“Yeah. I’m all good.” He opened his mouth as if to add something else, before frowning and looking down at his feet. Sonic realized he was struggling with asking something, and he had a pretty good idea of what it might be.

“Oof, I’m beat.” Sonic yawned dramatically, arms stretching high over his head. “You mind if I crash at yours tonight? The hammock there is way nicer than mine.”

It was like flipping a switch. A bright smile spread against the fox’s face like wildfire. “Yeah! I don’t mind.”

Sonic wasn’t too keen on letting his friends out of his sight so soon after everything either. Feeling lighter than he had in weeks, he followed the now-chattering fox back to his home, a content smile on his face.

Sonic only woke up before noon because he was promised breakfast by Amy. That being said, 9:00 A.M. was _horrifically_ early and he was considering just skipping out altogether.

That was before Tails scrambled onto the hammock, shaking it wildly.

“Wake up! Amy just called and she made _pancakes!”_

Sonic groaned. The battle was already lost but he would continue to fight. “We can make pancakes later, I just wanna sleep-”

“Buck taught her how to make them and _I’m not missing out on them.”_ Giving the hammock one last light shake, Tails ran off, calling over his shoulder.

“See ya there!”

Waving a hand in agreement, Sonic sighed. If they came back later and he was still in bed it’d be way worse. Resigned, he swung his legs over the edge of the hammock.

After tugging on clean socks and his usual shoes Sonic was out the door and knocking on Amy’s door as Tails was just jogging up the steps.

“That was fast!” Tails noted. 

“You surprised?”

“Actually yeah, that’s much faster than your usual.”

Sonic shrugged, fighting the pleased smile that was making itself at home. “Must be all that extra energy.”

The door swung open to reveal a bright-eyed Amy who looked far too animated for the morning day.

“Rolled just out of bed, I see.” Amy looked at the mussed quills and Tails’ bed head. “Come on in! Everyone’s already here.”

Breakfast was delicious. Sonic now understood what Tails had been talking about. Amy had always made pretty good pancakes before but these were beyond _divine._

“Oh my gods Ames, what did you _put_ in these?” A glop of half-chewed pancakes threatened to fall out of his mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth open!” Amy scolded him lightly, before happily shoving a forkful into her own mouth. She may have been ladylike but these were _damn_ good.

Once she was finished chewing, she held up three fingers, listing the key things Buck had taught her. “Fresh fruit with a light glaze, steam the pancakes for fluffiness, and a sprinkling of icing sugar.”

The table vocally voiced their approval, the pancakes all but vanishing in the span of a couple of minutes. Once the food had been polished off, Tikal rose to try and help Amy with the dishes, but the pink hedgehog only shook her head.

“The chef never cleans up, nor do guests,” she winked at the echidna girl. “Right guys?”

Sighing, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and Sticks got up and began to clear the table with practiced efficiency. Tikal and Old Tucker looked at Amy curiously as the four grumbled while picking up dishes. Knuckles tugged off his gloves to wash while Sonic dried. Sticks and Tails took care of putting the ingredients and dishes away.

“Gotta split the labor somehow.” Amy shrugged simply. “I don’t mind cooking as long as I get some help. When Knuckles cooks I help with fire management and clean up.”

Old Tucker frowned as he processed her words. “ _Fire_ manageme-”

“All done Ames,” Knuckles chirped happily, drying his hands on a clean towel. “I gotta say, the idea of finding even _more_ echidnas is a little-” he made a vague gesture with his hands, the words escaping him. “Well, it’s a lot.”

“Well, we won’t find any on Seaside Island, that’s for sure.” Tails was already pulling out a large map from the pack he’d brought, spreading it across the empty table. “It might be large, but we’ve covered the territory pretty extensively. We’ll have to head to the mainland.”

Amy’s face immediately darkened, her hands clenching to fists at her sides for a brief moment. She hated the mainland. “How far in?”

“Not too far,” Tails reassured her. He and Sonic had spent time on the mainland before arriving at Seaside Island. The uninhabited areas were plagued with gangs that took advantage of the poorly secured roads between cities. They weren’t all bad, but they’d all had enough run-ins that mentions of the mainland brought up less than pleasant memories.

“We’ll be fine Ames,” Sticks elbowed the pink hedgehog gently, her own eyes ablaze with a challenge. The badger had never been off the island herself and all she’d heard so far just made it sound _cool._ “We’ve dealt with way worse than a couple’a flea bags playing roadside thugs.”

“Yeah, you’re right!” Shaking the dark clouds off her head, Amy turned a bright gaze towards Tikal and Old Tucker. “Alright, so lay it out for us. Where should we start?”

After some debate and comparisons of possible locations, they finally agreed on a portion of land nearest the coast that seemed promising.

“Not well populated, lotsa old ruins, and some strong chaos readings if my tracker is working right.” Tails had concluded, happily wrapping the map back up in his pack.

Under the glare of the midday sun they had prepared to take off, Tucker and Tikal joining Team Sonic outside of Amy’s house. Tikal looked bright eyed and ready, boots laced tight and hands gripping the straps of her own pack determinedly. Tucker, on the other hand, looked listless.

“You alright there, Old Tucker?” If you asked Sonic, the old turtle was moment’s away of cradling the dirt with his face. Old Tucker shook his head, dabbing at his brown with his worn kerchief.

“Fine, fine. Just… it’s just a little warm.”

Sonic frowned at the sun. “It’s only going to get warmer. Maybe you should stay behind-”

“No!” At once, his eyes flew open, posture straightening. “No… you heard him as well as I did. I have to help, I have to restore-”

“You’ll restore nothing if you slow us down, father.” Tikal said gently. “Stay. Please.”

It was a testament to the turtle’s exhaustion that he only argued with her for another ten minutes before silently acquiescing. Tails left him with a communicator and without any more delays they set off towards the edge of the island.

Now, compared to his alternate selves, Scarfz’ tolerance for water was pretty high. But that wasn’t to say that he _liked_ it. Being in a body of water bigger than a bathtub (and even that was cutting it close) was uncomfortable. All in all however, he thought he was doing a pretty good job of hiding it at the moment.

“You good, Sonic?”

“Yup.”

“You sure? Your blue is looking a little green.” Amy asked this time, peering over Tails.

Sticks piped up as well. “Yeah, cuz you look like you’re about to hurl-”

Sonic’s ears twitched. “I said I’m _fine_ , guys. It’s just a ferry. It’s fine.” And that was mostly true. The ferry was small but sturdy, not designed to carry much more beyond cargo for the village. The captain had agreed to transport them nonetheless, recognizing Team Sonic from his occasional trips into the village.

Thankfully, Seaside Island wasn’t far from the mainland and once his shoes touched solid ground Sonic felt himself let out a breath he’d been holding. 

“Right. So I scout ahead or we have a destination planned, how’s this gonna work?

They hadn’t been walking far, the dirt road leading away from the coast quickly becoming smaller and raggled. Sonic was already _so_ bored. He’d been keeping pace with the group for over _fifteen_ minutes now. He touched the tips of his ears.

“What in the blazes are you doing?” Sticks asked him, after he’d done it a third time.

“Checking my ears for any brains. This is mind-melting boredom.”

“Maybe if you _had_ brains there’d be something there-” Amy muttered under her breath, reaching out without looking to high five Knuckles.

“The readings say it should be further up ahead.” Tails piped up from the middle of the pack, interrupting their snickering and Sonic’s pouting.

Immediately, the blue hedgehog perked up, looking towards Amy with a challenge in his eye. She was nowhere near as fast as him- especially _now-_ but she was really strong. And her competitive nature was fun to poke at.

“Roger.” Sonic darted forward, Amy close on his heels while Knuckles hung back with the rest of the group. 

It wasn’t really racing, but it was close enough that Sonic felt laughter bubble up from his chest. Every now and then, a gleam of pink would show up in the corner of his vision, and he’d move quicker.

“We’re supposed to be scouting not racing, Sonic!”

“You’re just mad cuz you’re losing!”

“Am _not!”_ A humming noise filled the air and Sonic recognized it as her hammer materializing.

Hanging a sharp left, he ran deeper into the woods, cackling as he could hear her crashing through the undergrowth behind him.

“Too slow!”

Behind him, Amy growled viciously. “I’ll show you slow!”

A thundering crack caught his attention, and as Sonic turned to ask if everything was okay he caught sight of an entire _tree_ hurtling through the air towards him.

Rolling out of the way with a yelp, he just barely dodged the tree as it crashed into the space he’d occupied a second ago. Sonic stared wide eyed at the hurtling tree, the sound of splintering wood fading. Had she seriously just-!

“Amy!”

Breathing heavily, Amy twirled her hammer with an expert grip, the head coming to rest by her boot. “I may have-” she huffed, “-gotten carried away.”

“Ya think?” Sonic laughed, rising to his feet. “Come on, we’ve made enough noise, let’s double back-” He cut off suddenly, eye catching on a dark portion of the forest, cleared out by Amy’s flying tree.

“Oh would you look at that.” Amy grinned, making a beeline through the trail of destruction. “That’s a point for Amy Rose.”

“Hey we didn’t establish a point system!” But Sonic jumped over the debris and followed her. A little buzz was moving throughout his body, weirdly familiar.

They moved deeper into the forest, further from the trail now. Here, the shadows seemed darker, the thick foliage of the trees turning the bright day to a murky atmosphere. Far too focused on the path before them neither hedgehog noticed when the shadows moved, following them silently.

In an overgrown clearing, he spotted it. The dilapidated remains of a building, buckling walls held up more by the trees surrounding it than by their own strength.

Sonic strode forward, eyes focused on the gloomy entrance- if it could be called that- of the abandoned facility. “Let’s get a look while they catch up,” he called out to Amy. “This place… I can feel something.” He couldn’t explain it. As unimpressive and the ruined building was, there was just a buzz of _something_. 

“Maybe it’s the crystal?” Amy sounded hopeful.

“Maybe...” Jogging past her, Sonic stopped at the edge of the entrance, trying to peer deeper into the building.

“Let’s wait for the rest of the group to arrive before we go any further.” Amy tapped her fingers against the handle of her hammer. She could hardly see past the forest line. Were the bushes moving? 

For the first time, she realized how eerily quiet the woods were. No songbirds, not even the rustle of animals in the undergrowth. Uneasy, she looked around. Something primal wailed, softly at first. This place wasn’t safe. The fur on the back of her neck pricked with the realization.

They were being watched.

Suddenly, the forest seemed to lurch. Powerful figures exploded forth from the shadows in the foliage. Amy screamed. They moved in with synchronized ferocity, surrounding both Amy and Sonic in an instant. Dark metal gleamed near his skin as their attackers levelled weapons against them, the whisper of the razor edge smoothing against his short fur.

Heart in his mouth, Sonic stayed absolutely still, eyes darting from Amy to their attackers, a total of four flanking them both. He recognized those quills and body shapes, knew what they were in an instant. The largest one, a pitch black figure, knocked Amy’s hammer from her grasp, the pink hedgehog hissing in pain as the metal weapon was torn away.

“Hey!” Sonic yelled, silenced only by a blade’s edge kissing his jaw. “We’re not your enemy.” Adrenaline flooded his system. He was faster now. He could speed out of this position in a heart beat and disarm them. But Amy…

“We’re not here to fight.” She said evenly, green eyes boring into his as she finally caught his attention.

 _Stay calm._

Right. 

The sound of heavy footsteps distracted them all, turning to see the remainder of the group crash into the clearing, panting and out of breath.

Sonic smiled at Tails a bit helplessly, hands already raised in a disarming move.

“Uh, we found the echidnas?”

Sonic could see their attackers somehow bristle even further at the sight of their friends, their broad forms trembling with battle energy. But then, something incredible happened.

One of them, a smaller one, stepped back, dark purple eyes blown wide in disbelief.

“You… you’re echidnas!”

It was like a switch had been flipped. The other four echidnas stepped back, wary and guarded but no longer hostile.

“Julie-Su, wait. We don’t know who they are.” Another female, orange like Tikal tugged at her friend’s arm, her lips pressed tightly together. The purple echidna, Julie-Su, tugged her hand away.

“They’re echidnas, Shade!”

“A whole tribe.” The words were uttered by Tikal in much the same way someone had been told that their long lost family member had actually survived, and was back seeking reconciliation. She turned to look at Knuckles, who looked equally if not more at a loss for words.

“It’s not just me. It’s not just _us_.”

Immediately, she was swept up by a sea of reds and oranges, voices clamoring over one another.

“Another one! A foundling!” Whooped one of the echidnas, her weapon sheathed in the blink of an eye. She hopped in place, fur on her shoulders bristling with excitement as she seemed to want to embrace both Knuckles and Tikal. Both of which were still visibly reeling.

“Two foundlings! Finally, we needed more muscle ‘round here.” A lean red male smiled as well, the tip of his blade lowered slightly, his eyes bright with excitement.

“Shut it Rutan,” Julie-Su snapped with a familiar smile. She raised up and flexed a powerful arm. “I’ve got all the muscle we need right here.”

The echidna named Rutan snorted, shaking his white tipped quills in exasperation. Sonic exchanged a raised brow with Amy. For their would-be attackers, they had let their guard down rather quick,

“Oh!” Julie-Su jumped up, much to the disapproving glance of Rutan. “They must meet Lara-Le, she’ll be so happy we’ve found more and _now_ of all-”

“Julie-Su, that’s enough.” A massive echidna stepped forward. Unlike the others, his fur was a solid black, red eyes boring into Knuckles and Tikal intensely, before flicking up towards the rest of their group. “They have guests, it appears.”

The three younger echidnas immediately sobered, looking at Sonic and the rest warily, as if just remembering their existence. Sonic shuffled beneath the scrutinizing gazes. Geez were echidnas usually this intense? 

“Oh!” Knuckles perked up. “These are my friends. They actually helped us find you guys! Tails do-hickey was following the signature of chaos crystals and- hey! What was that for?” Knuckles rubbed at the arm Amy had punched, shooting the hedgehog a confused look.

Sonic sighed. Of course the cat would be out of the bag so soon. 

The black echidna hummed noncommittally before nodding. Turning on his heel, he started making his way back into the forest, the three young echidnas falling in behind him. Stopping to look over his shoulder, he raised a single brow.

“Well? You coming or not?”

Tikal noticed they weren’t heading too far away from the dilapidated building. They walked in silence for only a handful of moments, before the three younger echidnas hung back to walk beside her and Knuckles. 

“What are your names?” The purple-red female asked brightly. “I’m Julie-Su,” she smiled, touching the tips of her fingers to her chin, “that annoying puggle is Rutan, and this is Shade.” The two other echidnas mirrored Julie-Su’s gesture.

“Oh! I’m Tikal and this is Knuckles.” She hesitantly repeated the gesture, touching the tips of her fingers to her chin and brightening at their encouraging nods.

“Tikal and Knuckles, huh?” Rutan cocked his head, as if contemplating.. “Good names!” He decided with a firm nod.

Tikal laughed. “I’m glad you approve.”

“Oh, you don’t know our friends yet.” Knuckles twisted around towards the rest of the group trailing behind them, pointing them out as he listed them. “This is Amy, Sticks, Tails and Sonic!” 

But unlike their earlier enthusiasm, Julie-Su only smiled thinly, while Rutan and Shade leaned back, looking away entirely.

Knuckles and Tikal exchanged a confused look.

“Forgive their rudeness.” The black echidna called out from the front. “We warm up slowly to outsiders. If at all.” He waved a thick, clawed hand lazily in the air. “And everyone but an echidna is an outsider.”

“And you are?” Amy, ever the polite one, asked him.  
  
“Spectre.” He answered simply. He stopped abruptly, turning to look over his shoulder. “We’re here.”

Here, was a clearing that looked surprisingly lived in. Looking around, Tikal saw signs of a fire pit, some cooking utensils, and a couple of bedrolls folded neatly near a boulder.

Spectre raised his nose to the air. “It’s going to rain.” He mumbled, before nodding to Shade. In a flash, the dark orange echidna slipped away, disappearing into an area behind the boulder.

Seconds later, Shade emerged followed by two of the _largest_ echidnas Sonic had ever seen. Sure, Knuckles was big, but these two were _massive._

“Are these the foundlings and their friends?” The red one asked Shade. At her nod she smiled and Sonic felt himself relax instantly. “Welcome. My name is Lara-Le, and this is Remington.” She gestured to the brown echidna beside her, who opted to only nod in response.

Lara-Le stared at Sonic, raising a brow. “I think,” she murmured, “that conversation always flows better over dinner.”

Sonic and co. could only stay out of the ways as the small tribe went about what they could assume to be their normal routine. Rutan and Julie-Su sparked and tended to a fire- politely refusing Tails’ offer to simply spark it to life- while Shade and Remington (or Remy as they seemed to call him) returned with a mix of meat and wild vegetables.

Lara-Le smiled warmly as they had their meal around the fire, Sticks contributing her own supplies to feed the large group. The echidna female had the height that seemed typical to echidnas, and was powerfully built in comparison to Juli-Su and Shade. 

“It’s actually quite fortunate that we found you when we did. We were returning to our ancestral home. The air hums with life, I’ve never felt anything like it before.”

Sonic shuffled uncomfortably, feeling her intense gaze on him. Did she know? Should he even mention it? But soon she turned to look at the Tikal and Knuckles.

“You’re welcome to come with us,” she smiled at them. 

Knuckles swallowed the food in his mouth, scratching his head awkwardly. “Uh, funny thing actually. We were actually there… yesterday?” 

Amy gave an affirming shake of her head. It was easier, this time around, to explain what had happened. Knuckles leaned back and was content to let Tikal and the others take the lead, while he looked at the rest of the tribe. The younger trio of Shade, Julie-Su and Rutan couldn’t have been much older than himself. 

As Tikal delved into the story, touching on the old myth of the pools, they were hanging off of every word that came from her, something like respect beginning to bloom in their eyes as she recounted her meeting with none other than Chaos himself.

Shade looked at the older male echidna. “Seems like your stories weren’t all just larks, Remy.” 

The echidna huffed as he scraped the dirt from his claws. “Our stories have been passed down for generations.” Remy thunked a claw against Rutan’s head, leaving behind a spattering of dirt.

Rutan laughed, sharp eyes giving the newcomers another once over. “Who could have imagined. Even mister gloom’n’doom was right on some accounts.”

Spectre snorted, but said nothing.

Overhead, the sky rumbled threateningly, murky clouds marring the pure black of the night sky.

“Shouldn’t we set up camp or something?” Amy asked. She was no stranger to roughing it, but when possible, she preferred the simple comfort of _not_ getting soaked.

“No need.” Remy stood up, gesturing for them to follow. “We’ve made burrows.” He said, pointing a massive claw to the boulder Shade had disappeared behind earlier. “And I’m nearly done with the one for y’all.”

Lara-Le rose to her feet, stretching her own massive claws in the process. “I’ll help you finish the burrow, Remington.” 

As the pair walked away Sonic swallowed hard realizing how much she towered over nearly all of them, matched only in height by Spectre. 

He glanced at Knuckles suspiciously. He was already taller than most of the group, Sonic only reached his chest. _Would he get even taller?_

Sticks leaned over to nudge Knuckles with a bony elbow.

“Knuckles, your mom is really tall.” 

“She’s not my mom!”

While Remington and Lara-Le took turns with the burrow, Sonic seized the opportunity to try and find out a little about the stranger shiver of energy he'd felt before. By the fire, the steady buzz threatened to lull him straight to sleep. It'd grown stronger the closer they'd gotten to the camp site. And now, if Sonic concentrated, he imagined he could nearly imagine a strange, melodic hum coming from somewhere in the earth.

"How long have you been here." He asked Julie-Su. She seemed to be the most open of the trio.

"No longer than a month. We spent quite a while trying to find safe passage to the underground facility." She told him cheerily. "Lara-Le nearly broke a claw in frustration. Apparently steel walls do _not_ give easily."

Sonic chuckled with her, unable to imagine the large echidna lose to anything, much less a steel wall. "Did you find anything? I didn't even _know_ the building had an underground." He admitted. Their planning had been pretty rushed in comparison.

Pursing her lips, Julie-Su seemed hesitant to reply. 

"Oh yeah," Rutan grunted, his attention on the glaive he was tending to. "Loads of ancient's stuff. Stolen, I imagine. Nothing they'd miss." He snickered to himself.

“Weapons stolen from the ancients, huh.” Tails all but leaned forward, eyes shining bright with interest. “They wouldn’t have to be crystal-like in appearance, would they?”

“Yeah, how’d you know- Ow!” Rutan flinched suddenly as Shade smacked him hard.

“Idiot!” She hissed, “they’re supposed to be a _secret!”_

“But he knew!”

“Shade, it’s alright.” Behind them, Lara-Le approached the campfire, shaking the dirt caked beneath her claws. At the sternness in her voice the two immediately quieted. She turned to look at Tails, quiet for a long moment as if weighing the options that she had.

Finally, Lara-Le nodded, lacing her hands together. Sitting down by the fire, she stared intently at each of them. Sonic got the feeling that her gaze lingered on him. Curious and knowing. “Tell me what you know.” She murmured after a while.

It wasn’t a question.

Swallowing, Tails nodded. His explanation punctuated intermittently by Amy, Tikal, and even Sonic. However, once Sonic got around to the part where the god had handed Shadow the chaos crystal things abruptly became very _loud._

“Wait, you _have_ one?”

“Where is it-”

“Chaos _gave_ it to you?!”

“Whoa!” Sonic leaned back from the onslaught of questions. “Um, yeah we do, it’s back home, and yes he did.”

Rutan sucked in a harsh breath, glaring daggers at Sonic. “Wait. Did you leave it _unguarded?”_

But before Sonic could answer, Spectre was leaning forward.

“Which crystal is it?” He asked, narrowing his red eyes at the hedgehog who suddenly felt very much in the spotlight.

“Uh. Hm? What type-”

“Describe it.” Spectre growled.

“Oh sure. Well it’s yellow and glowy, shaped like a star or a little sun-” He was cut off by a deep groan.

“Oh my _gods_ you have the sun crystal.” Rutan buried his face in his hands, groaning angrily.

“Of course Chaos would give you one of the two strongest crystals.” Spectre huffed. But he seemed far less distraught than Rutan at the news.

Sticks stood up, her nose twitching suspiciously. “Do _you_ guys have one? A chaos crystal?”

For a moment, no one responded. Lara-Le and Spectre exchanged a look. He raised a brow in question. Lara-Le shrugged. 

“Yes.” the black echidna said slowly. “But we don’t just have _one…_ ”

Amy narrowed her eyes. “How many… exactly.”

It turned out. They had _four,_ having found the latest one in the ruins Sonic and Amy had been about to explore. Once Lara-Le assured Sonic that their intent was to return the crystals to the temple in peace, he felt a little bit of the panic die down. With five crystals, that only left three unaccounted for.

It only took a small amount of convincing on Lara-Le’s part to convince them to spend the night with the tribe.

“We’ve already run into a couple of... unpleasant groups. It’d be safer to stay together.”

Knuckles and Tikal hardly needed coaxing, already asking questions a mile a minute. They sat just outside the burrow. Spectre shuffled past them, the echidna mumbling something about taking first watch.

“So,” Knuckles leaned in as he watched the black echidna pass, waiting until he was out of earshot. “The claws. How come Lara-Le and Remy have such huge claws? Is it an older thing? But Spectre doesn’t have claws-”

“Oh!” Julie-Su extended her own hands excitedly, unwrapping the bindings to reveal her the tips of her own claws, much smaller than the adults. “They’re like muscles.” She explained, flexing her hand. “The more you break them down and use them the stronger and larger they’ll grow.” Julie-Su rewrapped her fingers, looking quite smug.

“Remy and Lara-Le use theirs to burrow the most, so they’re the largest. Spectre prefers to have smaller ones.” She shot a look towards the black-speckled echidna beside her. “Rutan’s claws are too soft to grow.”

“They are _not!”_ He growled, “I just happen to prefer a finer fighting style. Spectre has smaller claws too.”

“Yeah, but that’s _Spectre-”_

“Let’s see yours then.” Shade interrupted the two, knowing how heated their arguments could get. Knuckles leaned back, none too eager to be the first to reveal his hands. Tikal unwrapped the tips of her fingers first, revealing small points. Claws.

Knuckles felt his stomach flip flop. He didn’t even have proper echidna claws. _As always, all brawn and little else.._

“Kinda small…” Shade noted and Tikal’s face fell ever so slightly.

“Oh, that’s not a bad thing Tikal!” Julie-Su frantically added, seeing both her and Knuckles’ worried looks. “We joke about it a lot yes, but all it means is you haven’t had much use for them.”

“Hopefully that’ll change soon.” Shade said coolly. “Although your knuckle claws _are_ interesting.” She smirked. “Your name makes sense now.”

Knuckles rolled his eyes good naturedly at the jab, having heard it one too many times now. Stuffing his hands behind him he grinned at the orange echidna. “Shade isn’t too on the nose for you, you’re nearly as bright colored as Tikal.”

Juli-Su groaned. “Oh no.”

“Right, settle in everybody.” Rutan mumbled.

And before Knuckles or Tikal could ask what they meant Shade was already launching into a well-rehearsed monologue about _stealth_ and shadows and the importance of something or the other...

It was all very poetic.

Which meant it was all terribly boring.

Somewhere after the first five minutes had blazed by, Julie-Su leaned over conspiratorially. “Shade is her chosen name,” she stage whispered. “Before us she lived in the towns, worked for a military group I think. They called her by her birth name, the wrong name.”

“Wrong?” Tikal leaned closer, careful to keep her eyes on Shade.

Julie-Su nodded. “One not suited to her. When she met Lara-Le, she told Shade that echidnas choose who they were and how they presented that to the world. Apparently it was what she needed to hear. Shade left her old name and life behind the next day. And we gained a great fighter and cousin.”

Tikal’s eyes widened in realization. It made sense then, that Shade was so passionate about her name. The orange echidna was a powerful, restrained presence, and getting this glimpse into her sense of self felt like a privilege. 

Not for the first time, a warmth bloomed in Tikal’s chest, as she felt like she’d found a family she had always missed. 

With her piece said, their conversation easily turned to lighter things, like his and Tikal’s past. Tikal easily had the most impressive stories, but upon hearing that he’d been alone since he was five even Shade managed to look a little surprised, recovering quickly into her noble demeanor.

Knuckles had initially laid out his bedroll nearest to his friends, but there was so much he _didn’t know_ and he hadn’t seen an adult echidna beyond his parents. And when Lara-Le joined their small circle brand new questions bubbled forth, the large woman all too glad to answer them.

The faint sound of cloth dragging along the dirt caught his attention and Knuckles glanced up to see Sticks bringing over two bed rolls.

“Oh, I was gonna head to bed soon Sticks, you didn’t have to bring our rolls.”

“Nah,” the badger rasped, punching his arm gently. “We think you should sleep closer here tonight. It’s not every day you find your long lost family.”

Knuckles ducked his head awkwardly. He could feel Julie-Su’s, Shade’s and Rutan’s eyes on him. “We’re not technically family, y’know,” he mumbled, hoping it was just quiet enough that only Sticks could hear.

Sticks cocked her head at him, before smiling toothily. “Blood isn’t the only thing that makes a family, knucklehead.” With a goodnight called over her shoulder, she headed back to the burrow Team Sonic would share that night.

Knuckles watched her leave, the quiet of the forest tugging at the thoughts that threatened to unravel.

“She’s right you know,” Julie-Su said quietly, purple eyes gleaming even in the dark. “There’s far too few of us. Just know that joining our tribe doesn’t mean you lose your old one.” She smiled.

Knuckles wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he only nodded.

They spoke only a little longer after that, Tikal asking questions about their myths, comparing them to what her father had told her, mulling over differences. Soon they were all yawning and entering the burrow to sleep. Spectre’s red eyes watched them keenly as they passed by him into the burrow, his black fur rendering him nearly invisible in the black night. 

The burrow itself was dark and cool, the earth smoothed expertly by Lara-Le’s and Remy’s powerful claws. Settling atop his bedroll, Knuckles stared at the dark, earthy ceiling above him. He could hear the even breathing of Rutan next to him and the light snores of Julie-Su beyond him. It was different. Lara-Le’s and Remy’s massive figures slept near the mouth of the burrow, forms blocking out what little light there was.

Knuckles had always slept outside, sometimes crashing with Sonic or Tails after a late night gaming sesh. Sleep had never been elusive but here, deep in the earth, he felt safer and more at home than he ever had in a grassy hollow or sleeping in a house. Soon enough, his own snores joined in with the rest.

The tour of the temple and the grounds was surprisingly uneventful. Blaze was an attentive listener and once the High Priestess had left them with a promise to return later, Silver felt himself grow more comfortable.

He had shown her the Red Gardens as well as pointed out the communal pools that many enjoyed.

“Some of it might seem a bit strange,” he added, noticing her blush as a pool goer tugged off their gloves, “but I promise it’s all very normal here.” Silver had heard stories of gloves being a symbol of propriety in other cultures. 

“I see…”

Silver led them back towards the temple, before being stopped by a tug at his robes.

“Everything alright, princess?”

“Just Blaze is fine. I was wondering if we might be able to see the initiates train.”

Silver’s eyes widened. He’d nearly forgotten and the young priest felt his gut twist at the thought of seeing _him_ again.

“O-oh sure. The Guard halls aren’t too far.”

Stepping into the warp ring, Infinite tugged off his cloak, revealing his face. The guard on the Xaoc planet was highly selective with who they allowed on, but he didn’t expect much fuss. This was his home planet after all.

“Infinite.” One of them greeted with a nod, taking his pack to inspect it. “Keeping out of trouble?”

“As much as one can.” The jackal replied smoothly.

Huffing, the guard let him pass. “Sure. Just don’t let it follow you here. You know the rules.”

Infinite didn’t deign that worthy of a response. Grabbing his pack from the guard, he stepped past the warp ring portal, making a beeline towards the city streets. It was still early in the day, but he didn’t want to be late.

Little had changed since his last visit. The tea shop on the corner had a fresh coat of paint, he noted. But today would offer him no chance to drop in unfortunately.

Knowing the paths by heart, Infinite headed straight towards the temple grounds, where the guard building and halls could be found.

He had a visit to pay, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buck=Modern  
> BB=Classic  
> Wachowski=Movie  
> Scarfz=Boom
> 
> So! The series kicks off! Beginning with my thanks, Ren and fourth-chaos-baby are seriously the best. I might still be stuck on chapter 3 of chaos barren were it not for them. I love y'all you own my entire heart.  
> And joining our little beta team is Solar-Socks! Thank you for giving me of your time to beta this passion project of mine! (If y'all don't know solar, yeet yourself over to tumblr bc her art is to d i e for).
> 
> A couple of notes. If you've noticed the sonadow tag, yes the endgame is that, but if you're reading this story for the romance, you might find it a bit lacking in that department. This focuses on the characters themselves and their journey through some truly huge obstacles (as well as funnies concerning them). Either way, romance is not the focus, but I do like being upfront so after much debate I added into the tags.
> 
> All of the echidna character's are canon. I believe there's only... 2 OCs in this story. Born of necessity.
> 
> Tags will be added for the relationships, both platonic and romantic, as the series goes on. And I'm sure the chapter count was daunting (it was for me). The chapters are mapped out but I am hoping to start a new job soon so if y'all ever have any questions on updates/the story and I don't get to it here, I'm v active on my tumblr (moralitas).
> 
> Leave me your thoughts, if that's your jam! I know this chapter is much slower paced than the norm but I do appreciate and love knowing what y'all think.
> 
> Take care and til next time!


	2. Invisible Strings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figuring out how things are, slowly but surely. But even though things look similar across dimensions, we must remember, they rarely are the same.
> 
> Cw: mentioned past self harm.

Squinting at the evening sky, Silver could see the early moon rising in the distance. The dregs of the sun painted the sky a watercolor pink, purple and hues hues mixing with the darkening clouds. They had about an hour or so before the little moon would begin its climb into the sky.

“It’s strange to only see one sun, but two moons.” Princess Blaze murmured beside him. She had been silent for most of their walk but Silver had simply chalked it up to tiredness. This was only the princess’ first day on the planet but already they had covered a great distance in exploring half the temple grounds alone.

“Is your planet much different?” Silver asked politely. Most planets he’d read about had the basic single sun and moon system.

Peering over the small garden bridge they were crossing, the cat nodded absentmindedly. “Two suns.”

“Wha- _Two_ suns?!” 

The ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. “Yes, it is a very warm planet, but not terribly so.” She shrugged. “You said the Guard Halls are nearby?”

Right. That. 

Silver swallowed down his trepidation, resuming their pace. “Yes, they test the recruits in the evening, after the day drills are finished.”

Blaze hummed thoughtfully. “Hm, practical.”

Silence settled between them again, less awkward this time. The princess was an odd one, he had to admit. Silver had half expected her to fall behind on their little tour (he had pushed a grueling pace), but she had kept up seemingly without a second thought, breathing remaining even.

Part of the pilgrimage involved battle training and sparring… tilting his head, Silver wondered how she might fare…

“Is there a reason you fear the Guard Halls?” The princess’ voice broke through the flow of his thoughts.

“I don’t fear them.” Silver blurted, far too quickly to be believable.

“You’ve tensed every time I’ve expressed interest in going.” The princess pointed out carefully. 

Silver bit his lip. “It’s complicated.” He sighed after a beat. “The newest general… he can be rather difficult. But it’s not a problem princess-”

“Call me Blaze.” She insisted, striding forward once more. “If I may call you Silver?” For the first time since she had arrived, Silver caught a glimpse of uncertainty in the royal’s eyes. 

“Of course!” He spluttered after a moment. The uncertainty on her expression was washed away in an instant, replaced by a small smile.

“Good,” she sighed, relieved. “Now, we don’t have to see the recruits tonight if it isn’t something you’d enjoy-”

“No no, it’s fine. Really.” Silver reassured with a smile. “Besides, recruits are rare to see. I’m sure we’ll be in for a treat.” 

Blaze brightened at the words, following the hedgehog with a renewed hop in her step. “I must admit, I’ve always wanted to test myself against other fighters. And I’ve heard this planet has some of the most skilled chaos users.”

“Oh? Are you skilled in chaos manipulation as well, prin- uh, Blaze?”

Blaze hummed, a mysterious smile blooming on her lips. “Something like that. Perhaps you will be my first sparring partner?” But instead of returning her smile, Silver wilted.

“Oh, sure… but I’m not really that skilled just yet, all I can do is manipulate objects.” Warm, turquoise light glowed from Silver’s palms as he demonstrated. The light wrapped around a small stone in their path, rising to meet Blaze’s inspection.

Amazed, she plucked the stone from the light, examining it. “You can do this to anything?” 

Silver shrugged. “Pretty much. Anything in my line of sight. Or not, if I have a good image of where it is in my head.”

“Silver, that’s amazing!” Startled by the sudden outburst, Silver looked at the princess, who was staring back with wildfire in her eyes. “Chaos manipulation,” she continued, examining the stone, “powerful enough to hold objects of varying sizes and fine-tuned enough to pick up smaller objects?” Blaze sucked in a breath, a lightbulb going off over her head.

“Can you do it to yourself?”

Silver's smile curled secretively. “I actually… have been working on this for some time. It still needs some fine tuning, but I’m getting the hang of it.”

Blaze watched with rapt attention as Silver concentrated the manipulation of his own chaos. The turquoise aura enveloped his body, lifting him a couple of inches off the ground. Shaky for only a moment, the floating flowed into a graceful glide around the princess, before the hedgehog lowered himself back to the ground.

Blaze’s mouth hung open like a swinging latch door before the princess remembered herself.

“That was amazing.” The words burst from her the moment boots touched the ground. “I would be honored to spar with you. No wonder you’re the High Priestess’ pupil,” she muttered as an afterthought.

Unsure of how to handle the praise, Silver did his best to accept it gracefully. He had always seen his powers as dull and incomplete compared to more masterful users, but Blaze’s praise seemed to be nothing but genuine.Friendly chatter filled the air now as the two made their way to the Guard Halls across the temple grounds. For the first time, Silver felt less trepidation as he approached the huge, stone building. At least this time, he had someone friendly with him. Maybe even, a friend in time.

Sonic shifted uncomfortably in his seat, all too aware of the eyes on him. As he’d emerged from the hut, three pairs of eyes had snapped to him before falling to the crystal in his arms. It was still partially wrapped in the burlap he had first received it in. Sonic couldn’t help but wilt slightly under the burning gaze of the three. 

The echidna’s had been extremely friendly and welcoming so far, but they carried such an intensity when it came to the crystals; the adults especially. Spectre looked like he was ready to tear the crystal straight from his arms, held back by Remy’s even suggestion.

“Perhaps, you can find a pack to store it in. Something more… respectable.” The thinly veiled disdain had been hard to miss. Nodding, Sonic had swallowed any retort, able to see that this was probably _not_ the time.

It was cradled in his arms now, the hero mirroring the position both Lara-Le and Remy had taken with their own packs while Tails flew the airship again. Eggman hadn’t popped up to claim any tech since their hasty departure from the island only a couple of days before. He wouldn’t miss it too dearly.

The gem radiated warmth and energy even through the fabric, chaos energy tantalizing and rich. He had never been able to sense anything like it, but with five crystals so close to him, the waves of chaos energy couldn’t go unnoticed by the hedgehog. Sonic fought a shiver, opening his pack to take a peek at the shimmering, golden crystal. It glowed, lighting up the inside of the backpack, pulsing as if it were alive.

“You better not be thinking of drawing on that energy.” Lara-Le’s voice was sharp, cutting easily through the dull roar of the jets.

Startled, Sonic looked at her, closing the backpack. She was leaning back in her own seat, powerful arms wrapped around her pack, eyes closed. 

“I wasn’t.” He frowned. But the energy _had_ been tempting. Calling out. Searching, almost. 

“Good.” She cracked open one eye, spearing him with a dark stare. “Because that energy belonged to someone. Someone very powerful. If it’s depleted they’ll never be able to move on to the pools. They’ll die in the most permanent way possible.”

Sonic wasn’t sure how to reply to that. The pools were a kids story. Folklore that had been passed down for ages. Did she believe that they were real?

But then again, he _had_ met the embodiment of chaos itself. As odd as that had been, it posed some serious questions to his once very simple world view.

Sonic stared at the dark metal ceiling instead of going into any of that, the call of the energy all but forgotten. If chaos energy was unique to a living being and could hold their essence… it made it their soul as well, didn’t it?

Bandaged hands tightened unconsciously around the fabric pack. Gods… whoever these gems had been he hoped that, at the very least, they weren’t aware of their imprisonment.

The first time he had returned to Angel Island Knuckles had felt the lonely ache of the ruins echo in his chest. But now, with nearly a whole tribe leading him into the city, it felt less like walking into a crypt and more like a welcome home. An empty, crumbed one, but a home nonetheless. Even Rutan’s hard expression softened into one of wonder as he took in the city. Grand, even in its decrepit state. 

Leading them through the darkened tunnels felt as easy breathing, the echidnas following him with their own natural underground sense while Tikal explained the images they passed on the walls. Even in the darkness, spiraled diamonds interspersed sparkled amidst the architecture.

The library door opened easily this time, light filtering in from the open skylights. And as the small tribe passed the threshold absolute silence fell over the group as they took in the wondrous sight of the library.

Untouched by war, the stone shelves stood tall and powerful, the only hint of the passage of time being the ruined tapestries in the corner and the thick layer of dust that coated every surface. A room sealed in time.

Knuckles watched them move through the room, touching the stone walls reverently, as if they believed it all would shimmer away in an instant. He saw Lara-Le raised a hand to fit one of her claws against a gentle groove in the wall. The fit was nearly perfect.

In the corner, Tikal read out a simple sign haltingly, showing a rapt Julie-Su and Shade the words while sounding them out. Knuckles wandered closer to them, eager to learn the words of the lost language as well.

“The vowels are softer, see? But the words are still clearly enunciated. It can sound rather harsh, but I think it’s a beautiful language nonetheless.” The clearing of a throat disrupted the gentle flow of their conversation.

“We’ll have time for lessons later,” Spectre interrupted, surprisingly gentle. As gentle as a perpetually scowling, pitch black echidna could.

Quiet in the speckled gloom of the library, they made their way up the winding stairs to the central temple above.

 _At least this time I can walk,_ Sonic looked up the steps grimly. The stairs were long and winding, his calves soon burning from exertion. But still, he was alive to feel it. 

However, at a sudden pang in his thighs, he reconsidered that statement.

“Do you need to be carried?” Lara-Le chuckled and Sonic couldn’t understand how someone so large was able to move so quickly and easily up the steps. But he wasn’t _quite_ that exhausted to throw his dignity out the window.

“Fine. Just forgot to stretch before, y’know?”

“Sure you did.” Rutan bit out, half a step behind him. Rolling his eyes, the blue hedgehog huffed past him, unimpressed. The kid was a frog’s hair away from hyperventilating in an attempt to keep up with him and Lara-Le.

“Slow down, dude,” He grinned, turning back up the steps. “This ain’t quite your speed.”

Shooting upwards in a gust of stale wind, Sonic almost didn’t hear Rutan’s angry shouts following him up.

The hero reached the top long before the rest of the group made it up, continuing up the unfamiliar steps of the outer shrine. Settled in front of the Master Emerald, Sonic couldn’t help but stare at the majesty of the gem.

It was beautiful. Glittering and turning slowly on its pedestal (what _was_ making it turn?) it looked like something straight from a dream. Shifting his weight, Sonic carefully adjusted the pack on his shoulder. Behind him, the scrape of shoes against stone announced the arrival of the rest.

“So uh, we’re here.” He announced lamely. 

Lara-Le nodded, slipping her pack onto one shoulder, gingerly lowering it to the ground.

“Very well. I’m assuming you can return them?” Her tone was short, businesslike.

“Uh-”

“Now would be best, they’ve been trapped for too long as it is. And the sooner these are gone the better it’ll be for us all. They won’t be able to be weaponized anymore.”

“That sounds good but I’m not sure what you mean?” Lara-Le stopped then, looking at him oddly.

“You’re… you’re his avatar right? Chaos’? Your blue fur… and your friend said that Chaos even healed you.” She stared. “Took your form for a bit?” She added as if that might jog his memory

“Yeah? But what’s that gotta do with the crystals?”

The large echidna mused for a moment before answering. “You should be able to call him, if the legends are true. Whatever you did before, just do that again.”

Said like it was the breeziest thing in the world. Like he was dipping into the local market to grab a snack. Right. Do what he had done before. Sonic turned, the gem looming before him, a welcoming glint shining off the faceted surface.

Just. Touch the gem. That’s all he had to do, just like before.

 _When you were dying,_ his mind pointed out, oh so helpfully.

Grumbling, Sonic tugged off a glove, remembering how Shadow had been quick to help him the first time. Gloves were… a big deal. And he hadn’t thanked the black hedgehog yet. Not like he’d get a chance to either, with Shadow’s disappearance rate. 

Delicately, Sonic pressed his palm against the gem, the surface warm from the sun and the energy that resided within it. He closed his eyes and tapped into the connection he’d felt before, answering the call of the energy.

Around him, the wind whistled lazily. 

Nothing happened.

His ears twitched at the hushed whispers behind him. Furrowing his brow in concentration, Sonic did his best to shut them, focusing back on the gem before him.

To his right, a low mumble. “Not that this isn’t _riveting_ entertainment but...what are we staring at?” 

Jerking back, Sonic fell flat on his rear. His yelp echoed dully through the remains as he caught sight of a tall, floating figure beside him.“Oh, not you too.” The being sighed, and Sonic couldn’t help but zero in on the razor sharp teeth. Tall, with blood red spiraling eyes, those teeth and flowing flames for quills, Sonic had no doubt in his mind this was the being his friends had spoken to.

Chaos.

“Look, for the billionth time, the teeth are _staying_ because I _like_ them.” The fiery figure mumbled petulantly, crossing his arms. He looked roughly like he’d been described, limbs longer and taller than any mobian hedgehog he’d heard of, all gold and flames.

“Sonic, are you alright?” Tails was at his side in a blink , wide, concerned eyes scouring the blue hedgehog for any injuries.

“Just fine. He surprised me, that’s all.” Sonic reassured him. He glanced up curiously as Tails froze, the fox teen looking wary.

“He?”

“Yeah, this guy.” Sonic glanced at Fleetway, the god smiling serenely. “He’s not as scary as you guys made him out to be.” Sonic lied through his teeth because even though the god _had_ scared him Tails didn’t need to know that. His graceless fall to his rear pointedly ignored.

“Sonic…” Tails enunciated carefully, “there’s no one _there._ _”_

Jerking back, Sonic stared at the fox, waiting for him to say _sike_. A glance at Fleetway gave him nothing, an amused smile on the god’s face like always. Tails looked dead serious, concern leaking slowly into his eyes. What the-

“They can’t see me, child.” Fleetway floated down to rest his head besides Sonic. “Not unless I take a teensy weensy bit of your energy. You know, contract and all, you’re my physical tether to being perceived in this plane of existence.”

“Oh.” Sonic put his chin in his hand, tuning out the god’s babble. Losing energy was… terrifying. It felt much like drowning, where there was no air but what was left in your lungs, desperation and helplessness clawing at your insides before settling into a heavy weight of despair. But Fleetway _had_ saved him. And he seemed intent on helping them do… whatever it was he wanted.

“Okay,” Sonic decided. “I guess. But not all of it.”

The sharp, curved grin softened, the god cocking his head at Scarfz. “It won’t be much, but if it begins to tire you you must let me know.”

Scarfz nodded, uncertain. Chaos seemed to be… reassuring him? It was unexpected but not entirely unwelcome.

The drain was noticeable, but nowhere near the vacuum he had experienced only days before. Tails yelped and scrambled back as the golden, grinning form manifested right in front of his nose.

At Tails’ surprised yelp Sonic bit back a smile, the fox falling flat on his rear as Sonic had at seeing Fleetway’s sudden form.

“Oh,” Fleetway chuckled, “no need to bow. Any friend of an ethereal is safe in my book.” Tails looked to be the opposite of comforted, but he shakily rose nonetheless.

Behind Tails, the echidna tribe stiffened, sharp, warrior eyes assessing the golden figure. The spiraling eyes, the flaming quills and unwavering smile. Lara-Le knew what that meant.

To her right, Shade’s eyes were wide. She’d grown up with the stories as well, but that’s all they’d every been.

“Is that…”

Fleetway’s eyes zeroed in on the echidnas then, focused and unwavering. “Would you look at that… a little tribe.” The warmth that seeped from the words was palpable. The glow of a warm fire on an empty night.

“We have brought you something, as an offering.” Lara-Le stepped forward, Remington shadowing her movements. They greeted the god, tips of their fingers to their chin and bowing their heads.

“Oh?” Interest piqued, he watched as they carefully took out the objects from the packs. Clawed hands held the crystals gently, reverently. One by one, they lined them up on the packing cloth before the shrine. 

Fleetway’s smile seemed frozen in place as he regarded the crystals laid out before him He recognized each one. Once upon a time, each one had been a living, breathing burst of life. Sealed life that was now confined within the cold facets of a crystal. And unlike his imprisonment… their essence hadn’t been _shattered._

Lowering himself to the ground, Fleetway stared at them, smile dimmed to a flicker.

“There’s more than this.” He looked to Lara-Le, inclining his head after a moment, “The Ancients made eight of them. Where are the other three?” 

Behind Lara-Le, the echidnas dropped their gaze. It had taken many, many years and the loss of family to obtain the ones they _did_ have.

“We haven’t been able to find them.” Lara-Le admitted reluctantly. “And we were hoping… you might point us in the right direction? Searching blind is a fool’s errand. And we got lucky.”

Fleetway considered this. Reaching out to the gems, he began to drain them, one by one. The energy seemed to resist, pulling weakly at his own influence. Still, he drew them gently into his hand, soothing as much as he was able. “I can sense two, faintly. The chaos in this planet returns slowly and dulls my senses. But I cannot sense the final one… the radiant crystal.” 

One by one, the crystals lost their inner glow, energy and light flowing into Chaos’ hands. All but one.

The sun crystal.

Chaos sighed, giving the crystal a weak glare. “Always the stubborn one, weren’t you?” With a sigh, he allowed the energy to return to the crystals, sensing their reluctance.

Spectre stepped forward, blood red eyes wary. “Aren’t you supposed to… take their chaos? Put them to rest or something?”

“Yes.” Fleetway’s spiraled eyes flicked to the black echidna before returning to their task. “These are imprisoned souls. Living chaos energy. They know they’re incomplete and will not leave without their Sentinel and Ethereal.” A sharp claw tapped against exposed teeth. “In short. I need all eight.”

Spectre stared at the god a moment longer, before stepping back behind Lara-Le. 

“Well,” Fleetway clicked his teeth together, his smile looking terser than normal, “The sun crystal holds the energy of the last Sentinel and won’t move on without his charge. I cannot sense the past avatar’s energy, however. Not anywhere on this planet.”

“So we gotta figure out how to sharpen your senses?” Tails piped up, having now recovered from his initial shock. “How far out?”

The golden form shrugged, image flickering slightly. Fleetway tapped a finger against Sonic’s head muttering a ‘concentrate’ to the blue hedgehog before answering. “Unsure. Between planets, Order reigns…,” a strange expression flitted across the god’s face before smoothing out, gentle grin turning towards the young fox.. “I simply cannot sense it from here.”

Tails rubbed at his chin, the fox teen looking between them and the sky. “If we could use a satellite, would your range be extended?”

For the first time, Fleetway looked uncomfortable, his smile looking like it might snap at any moment. “Yes… it might. But-”

“Great!” Jumping to his feet, Tails sped off, the gears practically revving in his mind. “I have an idea! Meet me on the ship when you’re done, Sonic!

Fleetway stared after his form before sighing, smile turning warmer as he looked at Sonic and the new echidnas.

“Well, despite the severity of the situation, I can’t say I don’t appreciate the company-” The words were bitten off with an audible click as the god surveyed the surrounding party. Quickly, he did a tally of those he knew. The pink diluted Xaoc hedgehog, the fox child, the echidnas he had met first, the new tribe, the keen badger girl,

Fleetway looked around for a moment. Floating quicker than their mortal eyes could follow he scoured the shrine, looking behind pillars, atop his emerald, even going so far as to check behind Sonic.

Sonic bit the bullet when Fleetway all but picked him up to check beneath his feet. “What are you looking for?” The hero spluttered, pushing away the clawed hands. They were warm and _tingly._

“The other one. The one I bonded to you. He’s supposed to be with you.”

“Who? You did _what?”_

“The dark, grumpy one.” Making a miming motion, he waved his hands above his head, mimicking the shape of large quills. The shape instantly clicked and Sonic snorted.

“Oh! Shadow. No clue,” he shrugged, “that guy just kinda drops in whenever he wants.” 

Knuckles called out to Sonic then and as the blue hedgehog turned to answer, he missed the way Fleetway’s eyes sparked in an angry flare.

“Well,” the sound was hardly a hiss through the gritted grin, “that simply won’t _do.”_

The clatter of steel meeting steel filled the air. The evening glow had faded to the muted shadows of early night and around the grounds artificial lights had already come to life, illuminating the paths. The glowing passageways of the Guard Halls were brightly lit and Silver led a bright-eyed Blaze towards the larger training arena.

The light, sharp scent of pine filled the air, small evergreens planted within the sheltered courtyards of the Guard Halls. The style of the halls was simple, earthy and comforting. Silver missed it at times.

It’d been years since he’d voluntarily visited this building. Long ago, it had been a place of wonder, much like it seemed to be to Blaze now. But Silver didn’t _belong_ here anymore and their newest general had never failed to remind him of that fact.

“This training arena used to be my favorite.” He told Blaze as they joined the small crowd that had gathered in the seats. The arena was far from full, but the occasional guard and citizen had joined to watch the action and potential entertainment. “I used to come nearly every day, even when I didn’t have to.”

“You trained with the Guard?” Blaze asked incredulously, immediately looking sheepish at Silver’s own amused smile. The question had seemed quite rude, now that she heard herself say it.

“Everyone in the clergy has to.” He chuckled, “Everyone has some basic fighting and defense skills. Leftovers of when we used to be a warrior race, but now it’s primarily to instill discipline.”

Blaze nodded, attention turning to the scene below. The recruits had just entered.

“So they are tested?” Beside her, Silver nodded, his own attention lingering on the outskirts of the arena.

“Yes. Usually a captain will test them, but the youngest general has taken a keen interest in vetting potential recruits.”

“The Guard Master’s pupil?”

Silver frowned as he caught sight of the brilliant green pelt. “Yes.” He hadn’t seen them yet. A small mercy. By Inti’s grace they’d be able to slip out and be gone before he even knew they were there. “General Scourge.”

Blaze snorted softly. “What a name.”

Silver winced internally. Scourge was _very_ tetchy when it came to his name. He had chosen it young and while a name change wasn’t odd in itself his chosen name certainly was a _statement._

The recruits each went through the captain, the green hedgehog only stepping in intermittently. Scourge was brutal on the more promising recruits, relentless even when they had clearly lost the sparring match. Silver did his best to keep tabs on the general’s location while watching the other sparring matches, not wishing to be caught off guard like last time.

Some of the anxiety fluttering in his chest eased as the last of the recruits finished with the grueling process. Finally, the captain clapped her hands, announcing the end of the sparring. Silver shot to his feet, eager to leave the halls. Golden eyes darted quickly around the well-lit arena. Wait. Where was Scourge?

“Evening, Five-head,” Beside them, where there had only been empty seats, lounged a lean hedgehog. 

Silver’s heart sunk down through the floor as he recognized the general. Swallowing any reaction, he opted for a cordial approach. 

“Hey Scourge, we were just heading out-” 

“Why? You might as well stay since you’re here, Silvey!” Scourge was at his side in an instant, throwing an arm around Silver’s shoulder in a move that was a hair too tight to be friendly, “I mean, we had an agreement. _You_ mind your distance where _I_ don’t have to see your doe eyed little mug, stumblingly listlessly through my life, and then I don’t have to fight the urge to _hurt you._ Since that is too complicated for you, we can renegotiate simpler terms.” A strong tug jerked Silver forward. 

“I was just showing the princess-” 

Scourge’s eyes flicked toward Blaze. He looked away and leaned in toward Silver, a hungry and calculating look crossing his face. 

“Silver, falling down on the job again? Aren’t you going to introduce me? Don’t worry-” He patted Silver sharply on the cheek twice, “-I can do it myself.” Straightening, Scourge turned towards the cat.

“My apologies, I assume you're our royal guest of honor? I can’t think of who else you’d be because someone doesn’t forget a face like your’s, and I am very good at remembering…” It was as if a switch had been flipped, Scourge’s lines smoothed out into something pleasant and welcoming, although this was briefly contradicted by the way his eyes slid very boldly down her body before snapping back up to meet her eyes again, “ _faces_.” 

And if Silver thought Blaze had been inexpressive before, she was a stony, blank slate right now, giving nothing away as she nodded her greeting in return.

“May the light of the flames guide your path.” Blaze recited formally.

“Ooh, none of that fancy stuff is necessary princess, I’m General Scourge,” The green hedgehog straightened, shooting Blaze a charming grin while his hand was still wrapped painfully around Silver’s arm, “If I may be _honored_ with your name...?”

“My name is Blaze,” She seemed hesitant, Scourge’s sudden, charming demeanor at odds with the stiffness in Silver’s body. 

“Powerful, _regal_ ,” The hedgehog purred amicably, “Tell me, princess, is Silvey here seeing to you and your every need?” Scourge stepped forward into Blaze’s space in a movement that was smooth and enthralling like a cobra, “He is naive, trusting, _earnest_ even, but a little inexperienced. _Maybe you’re into that kind of thing_ , but I can give you a personal tour of all the best this planet has to offer. Experience makes all the difference, and that’s a royal guarantee _baby.”_

Blaze stiffened, hands clenched tight at her sides. 

Grabbing Scourge’s arm, Silver yanked it back. Hard. He provided at least a forearm’s length of space for Blaze to breathe. Silver gulped as Scourge gave him his full, undivided attention. 

“We’re just leaving, Scourge,” Silver said evenly, hoping to soothe the anger sparking in the general’s eyes. 

Jerking his arm back Scourge grabbed the front of silvers cloak, fingers digging painfully in the gray hedgehog’s chest fluff. Icy blue eyes stared back at him. 

“Don’t test me, Silver.” 

Silver’s mind raced as he thought of something- anything- he could say to smooth the situation out. But he found nothing as a flash of heat surged behind the green hedgehog, the smell of burnt quills filling the air. 

Two pairs of shocked eyes turned towards the princess.

“That’s funny,” Blaze’s eyes seemed to shine with an inner fire, “I was about to say the same thing.” 

Scourge scoffed, eyeing the singed palms of the princess. “ _‘Don’t test me, Silver?’_ Another woman giving up on you already, Silvy?” Scourge loomed in Silver’s space. 

“Don’t twist my words, General,” Blaze clipped. 

“I know what you meant, kitten,” A slow smile crept across Scourge’s face as he looked from the princess to his burnt fur. Gently, as if he were caressing the area, he blew on his smoking fur, blue eyes meeting burning yellow, “Princess Blaze has a little heat to her. Hmm, _fire_ … that’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it? Anger usually isn’t a good look for a lady, but I think I like this color on _you._ ” 

“Let him go.”

“We’re just talking. If Silver has a problem he can stand up for himself. He’s not so pathetic that he'd let someone else do all the work,” Scourge said, quick and sharp, cutting down Silver, but he paused as the temperature began to rise. 

Sighing dramatically, the general turned to face the cat. “Let me guess, if I don’t stop I’ll be _royally screwed_. Well, if it’s coming from you sweetheart,” the general winked, “don’t threaten me with a good time.”

The ride back to Seaside Island was quiet. The echidnas had stayed behind, wanting to carve out a space for their tiny tribe amidst the ruins of the city.

“It’s not much yet,” Lara-Le had admitted, breath coming in short from clearing some rubble from the area, “but we’ll make this a home once more.”

Reluctant to leave, Tikal and Knuckles had hung around the edges of the new clearing as they left, Knuckles managing to coax and crestfallen Tikal away after a moment. But he’d reminded her they’d be back soon enough to help with the search for the remaining crystals, “besides, more crystals could mean more echidnas!”

The thought alone had seemed to reinvigorate Tikal, bidding the small tribe a warm farewell.

Tails was buzzing with excitement, rattling off the possibilities to Sonic, who looked a frog’s hair away from falling asleep. The whole group was beat, having helped the echidnas carve out a small living space had been pretty grueling work.

Once back on the isle, Tails hopped from the larger airship (he was pretty sure Eggman wasn’t getting it back at this rate) and onto his more compact Tornado. The fox didn’t have the resources necessary yet but… a _satellite_ would be perfect. Amplifying Fleetway’s reach and able to easily and accurately locate all three remaining crystals. In theory, of course. And the only other person who’d have access to satellites would be one slightly nutty Eggman.

Sweeping low over the forest, the Tornade skimmed the top of the foliage. A dangerous maneuver the fox had long since become accustomed to, relishing the technical challenge.

The doctor’s lair was quiet. No force fields, no random bug bots. A bit odd. But good.

Tails swishing happily, the fox knocked on the large door.

“Okay, once more, just to be clear.” Eggman rubbed at his temples, feeling the beginnings of a migraine come on, “You want _what?”_

“A satellite." The fox repeated, “the biggest one you can spare preferably.” He tinkered with something on a pad, not even bothering to look up at the doctor as he made the outrageous request.

“And why would I do that?”

That seemed to grab the fox’s attention. He looked at Eggman curiously.

“Why? Uh-”

“Look, if you haven’t forgotten, we’re _enemies.”_ And if he was being frank, Eggman felt like he’d met his quota for helping the blue hedgehog and his pestering friends for the month. The next year, actually. “You already kept my carrier and you want a satellite too?”

Peering around the doorway, Eggman frowned. He’d forgotten to put the system back after running the diagnostics, apparently.

“Orbot! Cubot!” He bellowed over his shoulder, “Turn the system back online!”

Tails frowned, putting down his pad. “Wait, but the satell-”

Waving a dismissive hand, the doctor shut the door. “This is for the best! See you soon!” The muffled cackle carried even through the thick sheet of metal.

A laser beam streaked through the air, nearly singing off Tails’ forelocks. Yelping, the fox jumped into the air, streaking a zig zagged path across the empty land. The tornado tore off the ground, streaking towards the open sky like a bat out of hell.

The sun hung low in the sky and Sonic wanted nothing more than to sink into his hammock and sleep in _late_. Focused only on a cool, brief shower and his hammock, he failed to notice the pair of gleaming eyes that watched from the dark corners of his hut.

Two figures turned towards him, the movement barely registering in the corner of his eye.

_What the-_

Alarm pounded in his ears, the shocked yell ( _not_ a scream) dying in his throat as a gloved hand pressed firmly against his muzzle. Scarfz eyes widened as he finally recognized the two figures.

“Heya Scarfz,” Buck grinned, speaking softly. His face suddenly twisted as if he’d bitten into a lemon, jerking his hand back.  
  
“Dude… did you _lick_ me?!”

Scarfz didn’t deign the question worthy of an answer, smacking his mouth to rid it of the taste of cotton. At least Buck seemed to be wearing a clean pair of gloves.

“Mind telling me what you’re doing in my house squatting like some burglars?”

“Okay… first off, burglar’s don’t squat-”

“Says you.”

“And _second,_ be quiet or else you’re gonna wake him.”

Him? 

Looking around, Scarfz caught sight of Buck’s Shadow, the shorter hedgehog scowling. He jerked his head towards the hammock in the center of the room. Confused, Scarfz approached the hammock, spying a third, still figure curled up in _his_ sleeping spot.

“I didn’t realize you’d have company over,” Buck snickered behind him, voice still low. “We woulda knocked.”

The taller hedgehog hardly had the processing power to come up with a reply, mind still running through the how’s and _why_ . No true reason offered itself and Scarfz knew that Shadow would rather eat rocks than willingly enter his hut and _fall asleep in his bed._

“Why is Shadow in my bed?!” He hissed through his teeth, having half a mind to upturn the hammock. White gloves twitched at the edge of the material. He could do it and blame Buck.

“Calling that a bed is a _stretch.”_ Buck’s Shadow muttered beneath his breath. 

_Or blame the other Shadow,_ Scarfz stuck his tongue out at the black hedgehog in retaliation, ignoring the dark glare that was returned.

Gently, Scarfz nudged the hammock, the hedgehog in said bed only snuffling quietly, dead to the world. Illuminated by the soft moonlight that filtered in through his blinds, Buck thought Shadow almost looked peaceful, angry lines soothed by sleep’s embrace.

“Be careful,” Buck whispered behind him. “Shadows are deceptively light sleepers when it’s most inconvenient.” Beside him, his own Shadow somehow scowled even harder.

“You were making a _racket!”_

Buck made an offended sort of noise, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff, but Scarfz was hardly listening to either of them at this point. He dragged a hand down his face tiredly, looking between the sleeping hog and the two quietly bickering ones.

“Look, can you just take him back? I’ve had a long day and I’d love to get yelled at by Mr. Vanquish-My-Rival at a later date.”

At this, Buck and his Shadow exchanged a glance before looking back towards him. “We didn’t bring him in, he was here when we walked in,” Buck explained in a hushed tone. “We just came by to drop off these communicators, needed to run some tests before creating a prototype.” At this, the hedgehog pulled out a bulky looking mechanism from his quills.

Scarfz was _not_ in the mood for any mysteries that night. 

“Fine! I’ll just go sleep with Tails tonight, I’m sure he’ll let himself out once he’s awake. Tell me about the communicator on the way-” walking by the hammock, Scarfz stepped on an old creaky plank. Unbeknownst to him, it would spell his doom. In his defense, how was he to know that _that_ would be the straw that broke the camel’s back?

Ruby red eyes snapped open and in the blink of an eye, Shadow was out of the hammock and aiming a fist towards the body closest to him, which just so happened to be Scarfz.  
  
 _“Ow,_ Shadow, really?!” Scarfz held his jaw as he glared back at a pissed off, slightly sleep-addled hedgehog. He seemed shocked, as if he hadn’t quite expected to hit Scarfz. But the confusion quickly morphed into anger, tension snapping his limbs into action.

“What the hell is the meaning of this?” He snarled, backing up like a cornered animal. “Why am I here?!”

For the first time in his life, Scarfz was grateful for the lack of furniture in his hut as he fumbled his way towards a lightswitch.

“I don’t know and I don’t know,” Propping the door open with a foot Scarfz gestured out to the night, tired glare meeting his Shadow’s furious one. “Now, get out because I want to sleep.”

Somewhere in the room he heard Buck mutter to his own Shadow, “That’s ice cold.”

Relief poured into Shadow’s face so quickly, replaced just as fast by the ever-present glare.

 _“Gladly,”_ he spat, stomping out the door.

Only to appear back in the hammock in a flash of golden light.

_“Dude!”_

“I didn’t do that!” Shadow hopped out of the hammock as if it were full of snakes. Turning, he noticed Buck and his Shadow for the first time, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. _“You.”_

“Me.” Buck’s Shadow shrugged, looking about as frightened as a cucumber. Which was not very.

“You’re chaos controlling me back, aren’t you? You dirty, no good vagrant!”

Buck poked his head out from behind his Shadow, gesturing towards himself. “Hey, _I_ can chaos control too, y’know.” Both Shadows, however, ignored him entirely.

“I’ve got better things to do than chaos controlling you.” Buck’s Shadow scowled. “Besides, I didn’t even _touch_ you and that’s generally a requirement.” The condescending sneer seemed to only rile up the other.

A golden light flashed again and Scarfz swallowed a groan as he recognized the grinning, floating figure.

“Actually, it isn’t! Little known secret and whatnot.” A deep voice shimmered into existence, followed by a familiar, grinning golden figure.

 _“Chaos.”_ He groaned. Seriously, all he wanted was to chase some Z’s, not babysit his rival and the newly returned god of chaos.

Leaning away from the two bickering, black hogs, Buck rolled his eyes. “I know, Shadow’s are pretty rude aren’t they.” he chirped, watching the two with nothing short of glee.

“No,” Scarfz jabbed a finger towards what surely looked like empty air to Buck. “I meant Chaos is actually here.”

Buck looked at him oddly, green eyes briefly scanning the room. 

“Sure he is, buddy.” The words were offset by his condescending smile and Scarfz bit back the urge to scream.

“May I?” Chaos asked, extending a hand grandly towards Scarfz, eyes shining with warmth and mirth. Scarfz made a brief grumbling noise of assent. The exhaustion was better than Buck staring at him as if he were a couple of nuts short of a proper trail mix.

The moment Fleetway appeared, two pairs of red eyes snapped to him.

Recognition flickered across Scarfz Shadow’s face and he decided at that moment that he’d had enough. A brief flash of light from a chaos control and the spot he had once occupied was empty.

Only to be filled in the next moment, Shadow blinking at his surroundings in confusion.

“What?”

“You’re not chaos controlling out of here, little Sentinel.” Fleetway examined his claws idly, “You’ve been slacking on your job and that reflects poorly on us both.”

Gritting his teeth, the taller Shadow didn’t even bother to hide the growl that rumbled deep in his chest. _“What_ _job?”_ His eyes snapped towards Scarfz then. “Didn’t I tell you I wanted no part of this?”

“Oh that was all me,” Fleetway raised his hand, smile turning coy. “I’m afraid none of us had much of a choice in that department, however. So we must simply make do with the choices we make”

“I don’t recall being given a _choice,_ ” Shadow bit back.

Fleetway smiled. “I misspoke. The choices _I_ make.”

For a moment, it seemed as if Shadow might try to _attack_ the self-proclaimed god of Chaos, but he scowled after a beat, walking as far from the group as he could without truly leaving.

Buck sidled up next to Scarfz, the taller hedgehog yawning and stretching. At any other point in time he might be more concerned over Shadow’s wrath, but things may as well have kept happening for all the control he had over them.

“Yo, so uhh. Wanna explain what’s going on?”

Scarf grunted. “Not sure if I do.”

Scarfz watched Fleetway disappear silently, a silent request for rest flickering across his mind as the ebb on his energy came to a halt. The god seemed to come and go as he pleased, but it seemed as he was able to tell when it took too large a toll on Scarfz. He disappeared entirely from view.

Thankfully, retelling really wasn’t all too complicated. Buck knew most of it already; Scarfz becoming the avatar of chaos, how that apparently meant more hands on interactions from the god as he tried to navigate exactly what the ‘contract’ entailed. The echidna tribe was new information however, as was their goal to locate the remaining chaos crystals.

“Right now, Tails is trying to find a satellite powerful enough to let Fleets- er, Chaos- scan the planet thoroughly to locate the missing chaos crystals.”

Now that his counterpart was silent Buck’s Shadow took the time to look around the empty hut with a critical eye. Besides the hammock, a couch and a stool it was woefully sparse. “Have you already looked into the ARK?” he asked.

Scarfz’ Shadow tensed. Those were words he hadn’t heard in… years. The hair on the back of his neck bristled, frayed nerves overflowing with the need to leave To run. But each time he did he only ended up back where he started. 

Shifting in place, Scarfz’ Shadow did his best to ignore the itching on his wrists, staying as far away from the group as he could.

“What’s that? The ARK?” Scarfz asked Buck’s Shadow, swallowing another oncoming yawn. But at the question, both Buck and his Shadow glanced at him, confused.

The two counterparts seemed to have a silent conversation before the blue hedgehog bowed his head in a small nod, allowing his Shadow to take the reins.

“It's where I was made, back on our world.” Shadow hesitated, “The ARK was space station that orbited the planet and I can only assume it’s where your-”

“The ARK is empty. There’s nothing there.” Still poised at the window, Scarfz’ Shadow spat the words out like venom, shoulders stiff. “You’re wasting your time. You can find a satellite elsewhere.”

Buck levelled the taller hedgehog with an unimpressed stare “Always a joy to talk with you, taller Shads.” He”chirped. “ But the ARK wasn’t just a research station, it was _the_ research station. And I’m sure it still packs a pretty powerful satellite. Think with that noggin of yours, I’m sure it’s good for more than holding up those fabulous quills.”

 _If looks could kill_ , Scarfz thought weakly. His Shadow looked like he was trying to burn Buck alive with his glare alone, but the shorter hedgehog just seemed amused.

“Well, it sounds like a decent idea to me,” Scarfz pulled out his communicator, shooting Tails a quick message. “We won’t even take too long, Shadow. Just need to set up the satellite.”

“Do what you want.” Shadow seethed, “I’m not going.”

“You realize Fleetway might just bring you along anyway, right?”

For the first time that Scarfz’ had known the surly hedgehog, true fear and hatred burned in his eyes, spearing him in place.

“Then _you’re_ not going.” The low snarl crawled through the air, lips curling back to bare the faintest hint of canines. "I don’t understand why I have to be dragged along."

Blue spines pricking defensively, Scarfz stood his ground. “Dude, what’s the big deal?! We’ll hardly be there for a couple of hours!”

“I said you’re _not_ going!” Shadow leaned into a crouch, desperation touching the very fringes of his words. He’d fight Sonic on this every inch of the way if he had to. There was no way. No way he was returning to that place.

“Yeah, well I say I am!”

A furious yell pierced the air as Shadow launched himself at Scarfz, fingers simply itching to tear into the wood and run away. But he couldn’t run. So he had to fight.

A hum permeated the air and before a blow could land on either side both hedgehogs stumbled back, blinking at the golden sheet of energy that had materialized between them. Fleetway appeared once more, leaning down to be at Shadow’s eye level. The smile plastered on lacked any of its usual warmth. 

Shadow held the god’s burning gaze, even as it stripped him bare.

“Take a walk.” Came the order, not to be dismissed.

That was all the prompting Shadow needed. Turning on his heel, the black hedgehog bolted out of the hut, scorch marks burning into the wood from the heat of his skates. Scarfz watched him leave, confused but no less angry.

Who did Shadow think he was, ordering him around like that? In his own home, no less. Scarfz could see Fleetway looking at him out of the corner of his eye before sighing.

“Does he really need to come with?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” But the god offered no further elaboration.

Buck and his own Shadow had watched the scene play out with amusement in the beginning, smirks quickly twisting to concern as Scarfz had been attacked by his Shadow. Truth be told, the attack hadn’t been too far out of left field, but the desperation and even fear that had bled from his every movement… the hedgehog had resembled a cornered, feral animal instead of an Ultimate Lifeform.

“I’ll speak with him.” Shadow offered, regretting the words as two pairs of incredulous, green eyes snapped towards him. Fleetway at least, seemed intrigued by the offer.

“You sure, Shads?” Buck had no doubt in Shadow’s fighting prowess but this… might require a more delicate touch than the black hedgehog was used to. But Shadow nodded firmly, red eyes following the scorch marks that curved towards the door.

“Yes.” Outside, the scream of the cicadas bled through the peaceful night, the air buzzing with humidity and static noise. “I believe we may share common history.”

Those words must have meant something to Buck, who sobered instantly. “Alright.” he stepped back, all old doubts erased. “Go get him, faker.”

In the dead of the night, darkness was absolute. The cold stars offered only scant light on the hillside where Shadow had finally reached his runaway, taller counterpart. Shadow stopped behind him, breathing only slightly ruffled. The tall, black hedgehog of this dimension was glaring warheads at him. Still, seeing his scarcely concealed incredulity as Shadow easily kept up in the chase had been worth the effort. But from here one out, it would be an uphill battle indeed.

Once he had left the hut, it had taken him a moment to locate exactly where the other had rushed to. But Shadow had keen senses best suited for stealth and tracking. Picking up his trail had been easy enough. And if Shadow didn’t know any better, he’d say his taller, alternate self was being clumsy.

He didn’t give chase, merely approached, following sedately whenever the other would continue running. Eventually, they circled, climbed, sprinted, and at one point tumbled to an open stretch of field, not too far from where they had started.

“I’m not here to fight.” Shadow informed his counterpart, keeping his quills still and relaxed. Buck had trusted him. And while Shadow hadn’t made any promises he would _try_ to avoid immediately jumping into an altercation. For the moment.

“I can see my alternate self at least has a knack for survival.” The taller hedgehog sneered, black quills bristling.

Buck’s Shadow grit his teeth. The moment was slipping away. Switching gears, he opted for a more… diplomatic approach.

“What can I call you?” The words snapped out, brittle in the charged air. “‘Shadow’ may get a bit… confusing.”  
  
“You can call _me_ by my name. If you’re so eager to change your own then do so.”

Buck’s Shadow raised a cool brow, unimpressed at the childish behavior. “You can’t come up with a name. Is that it?”

Whirling around, Scarfz’ Shadow didn’t even try to hold back the snarl. “If you’re so eager, what would you call yourself? Clearly, you’re not good enough to be _Shadow._ ” 

To his credit, Buck’s Shadow didn’t rise to the bait, continuing on as if he were commenting on the weather. Beneath the surface, his temper frothed like a bubbling cauldron. “I suppose you could call me by my prototype name,” he offered. “It was Terios. What was yours? Perhaps that name will suffice.”

In a snap, the tension changed as the taller hedgehog broke his gaze. Sharp teeth worried his lip before he spoke. “I was not given a name by them. I had…” Scowling suddenly, he crossed striped arms over his chest once more. “It doesn’t matter. _My_ name is Shadow.”

“It’s _our_ name, you idiot!” Terios hissed, patience worn thin. He may have come a long way from who he was since he first met Buck but his tolerance _was_ finite.Taking a deep breath, he tried once more. Third… fourth? Fourth time was the charm.“What was it they called you?”

It was a long moment before either of them moved, the silence growing between them. Terios could see the conflict in the other’s face, a defensive nature warring with the truth.

Finally, the taller Shadow sighed, hands dropping to his sides. The closest thing to compliance Terios had yet to achieve. “I was given a serial number.” He muttered bitterly. “S5872. I suppose… that could do.”

For a long moment, Terios stared at the other. The words processed dully. He had to take great care to calm the tenor of anger in his voice before answering. “No. You- _we_ , are more than a number. That’s unacceptable as a name.” 

At the other’s puzzled, angry look, Terios pinched the bridge of his nose. Chaos, Sonic was a saint. “Look… how about…” He stared at the other hedgehog for a while. What was it the Sonics had done? Chosen nicknames based on differences? He could do that…

“Cuff.”

Chaos damn it.

The black hedgehog levelled him a withering stare. “Cuff.” He repeated flatly. “That’s the best you could come up with.”

“I don’t see you coming up with any bright ideas!” Terios snorted. “And besides, the cuffs on your gloves are _ridiculous.”_

“That's a terrible nickname!”

“Better than a serial number.” Terios reminded pointedly. “Fine, Cuff _s_ then, you can match with your Sonic.”

Cuffs’ face twisted into a displeased scowl. “Why would I want to match _anything_ with that buffoon?”

At that, Terios ignored him. He had, after all, been there before. And now look at him. 

Huffing, Cuffs scratched at the edge of the vambrace that crept well past his mid-forearm, an old, nervous habit he hadn’t entirely broken yet.

“Forget it. My name is Shadow.”

“So is mine, Cuffs.”

The taller hedgehog snarled, tensing as if he were readying an attack. Terios matched his glare with his own. He wasn’t like Sonic. A battle with him was not to be taken lightly, and the other surely knew that.

With a disgusted snort, Cuffs forced his body to relax, turning away from his counterpart.

The silence settled again, warily between the two and Terios stared up at the darkening sky above them. Stars different from the ones he knew littered the twilit sky. He couldn’t help but wonder if Maria’s grave rested among these stars, as it had in his own world. Could that be why Cuffs resisted going?

Terios and Cuffs were not the same Shadow, that much was obvious. Cuffs was somehow… more shut off than he had ever been. Borderline feral in how he fought, carrying an anger that flared while Terios’ own had simmered.

But perhaps, there lay a starting point to understanding the other.

Taking a deep breath, Terios reached for the past, holding it clearly in his mind’s eye. “Maria was the driving force behind my purpose for a long time.” He began quietly. 

It must have been the right thing to say somehow. Startled red eyes met his own and, for the first time, Cuffs contemplated him silently.

“You had Maria too?” His voice was barely a whisper, ears flicking back slightly at the other’s answering nod. Cuffs looked down at his vambrace, fingers scratching harder at the tough material. “Then perhaps… you _could_ understand my reluctance to go back up there.”

Terios looked at Cuffs as he remembered his own past. The experiments, the loneliness, the pain… their only beacon of light in all of that had been Maria. Yes. Terios could understand Cuffs’ reluctance very well.

“Knowing her made me who I am today.” Cuffs bit out, fingers digging into the vambrace. His own memories of being much smaller and scratching desperately at his own arms flooded his mind. The loneliness becoming overwhelming and tiny hands moving automatically to scratch until the skin had cracked and bled. 

An anxious response, they had called it. But all Cuffs had known was that the scratching brought back _someone_. And sometimes, that someone had been Maria.

Cuffs grit his teeth, forcing his fingers to still. 

_Old habits die hard, it seems._

Terios could more easily understand the bitterness in his counterpart’s words and actions. “Losing her must not have been easy.” He acknowledged carefully. Even now, Terios himself could feel consumed by her memory, the pain of losing her coming as intensely as it had that day on the ARK. Healing was rarely a linear process.

But to his surprise, Cuffs shook his head. “No. It wasn’t.” The black hedgehog sighed, eyes blazing with muted fury. “But if given the chance, I nearly wish I could have killed her myself.”

Wait.

Terios blinked, feeling like someone had slapped him across the face. Cuffs face was pointed towards the sky, a mix of old hurt, regret, and _anger_. Anger, he realized, that was aimed at _Maria._

_What?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lorebit: The Xaoc planet technically classifies as an theocracy. The High Priest/Priestess is the head of internal affairs while the Guard Master and five generals are the head of external affairs and policing. They do however, have authority to weigh in on each other’s matters. Checks and balances.
> 
> Inti’s Guard is nearly as old as the church itself. They specialize in a style of staff fighting, though warriors are skilled in many weapons, usually preferring one or two above others.
> 
> The planet has two moons, the early moon and the little moon. Each one is used to refer to specific times at night. The early moon rises earliest while the little moon shines brightest at night.
> 
> \--
> 
> Yeehaw y'all thank you for your patience! Couple quick things.
> 
> I'll be ending the chapters with little bits of lore (lorebits lol) for the worlds/characters. We have a lot, but if you're curious, shoot a question. Who knows, we might have something for it!
> 
> Solar-Socks is my dear friend and betaed this chapter as well! Please visit her tumblr at solar-socks if you're unfamiliar with her art bc I promise you her work is of the highest quality. And all around, she's a fantastic person ;-; thank you for your /time, Solar.  
> Also! Special thanks to a-gentle-dab for Scourge’s dialogue. We love 1 (one) rancid man.
> 
> Lil update: New job and quick deadlines are exciting! But make for a poor writing window ;-; I'll keep working hard tho! 
> 
> Let me know what you think if that's your jam! Til next time!
> 
> EDIT 9/6/20: I accidentally labelled the planet as an oligarchy BUT its a theocracy.
> 
> Also im just basking in the reactions h o h o


	3. Little Bit of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle into something with a little bit of order

The coarse night air pierced through Terios’ very being. The words resonating like an endless cackle even as Cuffs fell silent.

_But if given the chance, I nearly wish I could have killed her myself._

What… What did that-

“Maria?” The word, usually such a comfort to Terios, felt more like a strangled plea as it was wrested from his mouth. It had to be a mistake. There couldn’t exist a world where a Shadow could hate the only human who had made that hell worthwhile, their sister in all but blood.

And then, Cuffs turned to meet his eyes, face twisting in revulsion. “Yes, of course.” He shrugged, fingers twitching against the ridiculously tall glove cuffs.”She was a vile girl…” The words were spat with such venom. 

Rage bubbled up in his chest and for a brief, vivid moment, he was back to who he was years ago. A lost soul with only a certainty that Maria had loved him. Whatever Cuffs said after that, Terios didn’t hear or care.

 _“Shut up.”_ He hissed. It’d been years… _years_ , since the mention of Maria had elicited such a reaction. But this faker thought he could slander her memory in front of him as if she were nothing _._ Molten fury coursed through his veins, held in check only by years of unbreakable self-discipline. “She was _good.”_ He snarled, “Keep her name out your mouth or I’ll take it out myself.”

Cuffs, to his credit, recovered from his surprise fairly quickly. Crimson eyes narrowed and Terios noticed he shifted into a subtle crouch. Not a total idiot then… but any further tactical analysis was drowned out by the fury that frothed behind his teeth. Cuffs had the gall to look _shocked_ , insulted even, at the aggressive stance, mouth all but twisted into a tooth-baring snarl.

“You said.. You said you _understood.”_ He accused then, the words ground out like gravel. “You said she made you who you are today-” His eyes widened suddenly as their earlier conversation clicked together, the meaning of Terios’ words changing in this new, given context.

Terios still loved her. As he once had.

Shaking his head, Terios circled the other, anger sparking in his chest. “You’re lying. About her.”  
  
“Oh, I see.” Cuffs sneered, eyes narrowing into abrupt, vicious glee. “You still _care_ about your Maria, don’t you? ‘She was good’?” A bark of laughter erupted from him, smile growing. Anger was easy. Anger was quick. Easier than the mess of emotions that had taken over the previously level-headed hedgehog. “A good _liar,_ perhaps. Yes, Maria was really good at that, wasn’t she?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You have no proof.” Terios snarled, mind refusing to entertain the filth the other was spouting.. Maria wouldn’t. She would _never-_

Cuffs regarded him for a cool moment, making a snap decision. Grabbing the other’s hand, he pressed it to his chest, pressing his fingers deep. Confused, Terios tried to tug his hand away, but there was _something_ beneath the fur.

"You feel them don't you? The scars." 

Speechless, Terios could only stare as he delicately parted the fur, emotions muted behind the wall of this discovery. None of this made sense. None of it… 

Why did he have so many scars? He could feel the raised ridges of the weaving tissue even through his gloves, wounds that had healed improperly.Their healing was incredibly advanced, the wounds would have needed to be gaping as they forced themselves to stitch shut with no medical help.

"I bet yours healed cleanly, didn't they." His counterpart intoned coldly, hand shaking as he held the other in place. Burning eyes stared him down. "I bet they were only skin deep.”

Terios let his hand drop as soon as Cuffs released it. He couldn't stop staring at his counterpart's fur. Now that he was closer and knew what to search for, he was able to make out the shifts where the scars weaved through his body. 

Chaos. How many did he _have?_

"Do you know how to scar an ultimate life form like this, Shadow? Do you know how long the wounds need to stay _open_?"

Terios jerked away from the words, mind buzzing numbly at the implications even as blood hummed with rage. “Shut up.”

But Cuffs only dug in deeper, gleeful as the other’s impenetrable mask crackled. “Oh? Angry the truth about that wretched girl is revealed?”  
  
“I said shut up.” Numb lips twisted bitterly around the words. “Cuffs.”  
  
The nickname slapped the sneer clean off Cuffs’ face. “My name is _Shadow_ ,” He growled. “Did she trick you so completely? I understand, you know. It happened to me too.” 

But instead of soothing Terios as they may have meant to, the condescending words only stoked the furnace of his anger. “I believed her once, loved her…” Cuffs continued, fingers ghosted over his wrists, tracing the curve of an old scar. The memory of that particular one sobered him quickly. A bone graft. They had told him that if he stayed still and quiet, he could see Maria. 

Buried emotions scratched at the lid of their coffin and Cuffs pushed them down. She was gone. And so were all the old weaknesses. “Look where _that_ got me.”

The first strike was sloppy, Terios fist fueled by rage and directed by unseeing eyes. The _second_ , however, hit its mark dead on.

Faster than a whip crack, a fist slammed against Cuffs’ jaw. Caught off guard, he could only take the blow, curving with the movement just enough to avoid a shattered jaw. Arching through the air, he realized dimly that the other had _struck_ him.

“I said,” Terios breath was uneven. Harsh. _“Shut up.”_

Rising to his feet, Cuffs grinned, wiping the blood with a thumb. “How pathetic, you’re a lost fool. Blundering after the memory of a girl who was _nothing.”_ Ever since the golden nuisance had appeared, he could _feel_ the new energy. Once a trickle that barely sustained him was a gushing torrent, power that was his to use. At his fingertips.  
  
Ragged energy coiled around him, gathering into a vicious, crackling spear of chaos energy and Cuffs couldn’t help it as a wild grin took hold.

Scarfz didn’t need his new abilities to know that _something_ was going down. In the distance, beyond a thicket of trees, the sky lit up in a hazy yellow glow. The faint sound of explosions were impossible to miss.

Something was wrong.

“How likely is it that both Shadows got into a fight?” Scarfz nudged Buck, pointing towards the treeline. The shorter hedgehog looked concerned for a moment.

“You heard him. He said he’d try-”

A louder explosion filled the air, the unmistakable crackle of chaos energy fizzling out, briefly illuminating the branches of the trees, stretching out towards the sky like bony fingers.

Buck sighed, scratching at his head quills. It was never just a simple visit anymore. “Alright, lets go check it out.”

Giving his hammock one last longing look, Scarfz fell in stride with his counterpart. As much as he wanted to sleep, leaving his Shadow at the mercy of Buck’s own Shadow was not a grand idea. The black hedgehog was rude and a huge pain, but Scarfz didn’t actually want to see him hurt.

The closer they approached the source of the flashes of light, the louder the sound of exploding earth and trees became. Uneasy, Scarfz and Buck exchanged a glance before pressing forward. They broke away to approach from two sides, the pincer movement coming naturally to the speedsters.

The once peaceful strip of forest was a blazing warzone.

Scarfz couldn’t see where Buck was across the crackling, burning trees and his nose twitched at the sharp smell of burning leaves. To his right, the Earth bloomed in a chaos explosion.

Sure enough, Buck’s Shadow landed with the grace of a dancer, body looping easily as he dodged a barrage of explosive attacks.

“I see you never advanced past training stage 7.” The biting remark was barely heard over the crackle of energy, but Scarfz caught a glimpse of his own Shadow landing on the ground, eyes glowing with rage.

Whatever he yelled afterwards, Scarfz didn’t catch, ducking behind a thicket of trees. The two Shadows were locked in battle and the difference in experience was more obvious here than ever. Buck’s Shadow was livid, that much was clear, but his attacks remained controlled. His own Shadow however… the taller, black hedgehog was hurling what looked like spears of energy towards the other, his movements wild and desperate.

To his right, a voice startled him. “We have to stop them.” Buck approached, keeping his gaze on the battling hedgehogs. “They won’t stop until one gives in.”

“I know my Shadow won’t,.”

“Neither will mine.”

So they would fight until one fell. Through exhaustion or otherwise.

“How do we even break this up?” Scarfz scowled. “They aren’t exactly offering many options for conversation.” But his eyes widened as he realized Buck began to stretch. The other hero offered him a bright grin, the smile lined with a hardness he rarely saw.

“Direct action, I guess.”

The plan clicked in Scarfz head after a moment and he resisted the groan. “You’re joking.”

“‘Fraid not, dude. You ready?”

Shaking his arms in a sharp movement, Scarf lowered into a crouch, grimace stark on his face. He managed to nod before Buck was already sprinting into action, movements sure and controlled. Doing his best to control his newfound speed, Scarfz followed.

Dodging the debris was simple, it wasn’t aimed at them. But getting close to the battling hedgehogs was a trickier affair.

Twin sonic booms cracked through the air, lost amidst the roar of destruction. Streaking up a tree, Buck used his built up speed to fly through the air, trajectory adjusted to meet with the familiar form of a black hedgehog.

“Shadow! Stop!” Buck locked his arms around the black hedgehog, knocking into Shadow’s side with a spin attack that knocked the Ultimate Lifeform out of the air. He couldn’t afford to pull his punches now.

“Stay out of this!” 

Using the distraction, Scarfz sprung forward, aiming his own spin attack towards his now distracted Shadow. Unused to his new speed, he ended up barrelling into the other clumsily, following him down into the earth.

“Get the hell _off_ me, you buffoon!” Shoving his face away, Shadow tried to tear away, fingertips crackling again with explosive energy.

“No!” Hooking his arms beneath Shadow’s Scarfz held him back, determined to at least unbalance him. “I can’t let you do that. You need to calm down!” He snapped, hands locking together like Knuckles had taught him.

“Let me go or _else.”_

“Shadow what the hell is even going on?” Scarfz asked frantically, all too aware that Shadow could force his way out of the hold at any moment. “I’m sure whatever it is we can talk about it-”

“I’m done talking, now _let go of me!”_

“You’d best be done talking,” Held back by Buck’s hand, Shadow seemed on the verge of continuing his attack. “If your fighting is anything to go by, you have _very_ little to offer.”

“That’s enough of that.” Buck’s tone was sharp, hand tightening around Shadow’s arm. “Let’s… take a break, okay?” But Scarfz’ Shadow was already bristling at the insult, thrashing briefly in Scarfz’ weakening hold.

“You want evidence? The ARK is where it’s always been, _Terios”_

Terios huffed derisively. “And yet you’re too much of a coward to return, aren’t you Cuffs?”

Biting back a yelp of pain, Scarfz released his Shadow- Cuffs, apparently- as the black hedgehog twisted viciously in his arms, bristled quills cutting into his skin.

“I’m not wasting my time here any longer.” The hissing of the skates was barely audible over the already burning forest. Rubbing his arms gingerly, Scarfz watched him leave. With the boom of battle gone, the only sounds were the crackling flames left in the wake of the chaos attacks,

“Wanna explain what all that was about?” Buck asked finally, turning to the remaining Shadow, but his tone was soft, treading lightly. There was more happening here than what Scarfz was aware of, clearly.

Terios stared at the ground, brow furrowed in thought, relaxing slightly when Buck released his arm.

“It was about Maria.” He said finally, words intoned evenly, though his blazing glare betrayed his true thoughts.

Buck’s eyes widened in understanding. “I see.”

“We have to go to the ARK. The one here.” Terios stated firmly, looking up at Scarfz now.

Sighing, Scarfz scratched at his own mussed quills. If only talking to his own Shadow were this easy.

“Right then. So, up there, huh?” Following his gaze, all three hedgehogs stared up into the glittering night, the tapestry of stars faded by the flickering glow of the fire. “Should be easy enough, right?”  
  
He really hoped Tails had an aircraft that could make it that far.

With the promise to return soon to visit (Terios continuing to insist on visiting the ARK himself), Scarfz bid Buck and his Shadow another short goodbye. Tails had yet to get back to him with the ‘big idea’, but Scarfz was beat. He figured could always talk to the fox the following morning.

Sinking into his hammock was heaven and hell, body relaxing instantly and at the same time complaining from the multiple new bumps and bruises he’d acquired that same short night. Shadow, or Cuffs (he snorted internally at the name. How fitting), had seemed pretty worked up over whatever it was that had gone down between him and Terios.

Hoping the situation might somehow resolve itself, Scarfz succumbed to the exhaustion, unaware of the small flash of light that broke through the darkness of the hut.

Scarfz dreamt. Which wasn’t odd in itself. But the dreams, which were more flashes of light and warmth, felt more vivid than if they were merely images. He felt… connected… to the warmth. It brought him the most peaceful rest he’d ever known.

As morning came, it was anything but.

“Not AGAIN!” The loud shout startled Sonic out of his deep sleep, floundering only to land on the floor. Groaning, he rubbed sleep out of his eyes, trying to focus on the source of the disturbance.

There, in the far corner of his hut, was a very pissed Shadow the Hedgehog…

And a couch.

Scarfz blinked, mind trying desperately to catch up with the image in front of him. “You know,” he began slowly, “if you needed a place to crash, I’m pretty sure I could have scrounged up another hammock. You didn’t need to bring your own couch.”

The glare that was directed at him might have been frightening had Sonic not felt his own prickle of annoyance. A prickle that quickly bloomed into thinly veiled anger when a familiar golden form appeared in the air.

“Oh great.” Sonic dragged himself to his feet. “Come on in. Totally wasn’t sleeping or anything-” but the words died in his throat when Fleetway turned swirling eyes towards him. Despite the smile, the hero instantly knew that it was only a front.

The god was pissed.

“So good to see you two are finally awake.” Fleetway chuckled and it was telling that even Shadow seemed unnerved by the behavior. Sonic couldn’t exactly pinpoint what made his fur stand on edge, but it was, without a doubt, there. 

“Good, good. Tell me Shadow.” Floating easily, he settled to look into the black hedgehog’s eyes. “You’ve felt the new energy, correct?”

Shadow narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but didn’t dare move under the pinning, swirling gaze. “What kind of question is that?”

Fleets’ smile grew, the air in the room dropped by a couple of degrees. “A simple one.”

“Of course I have.” He growled out finally. 

“Oh, you did then! How nice. In that case, would you mind explaining to me what that pathetic display was last night?” The words were saccharine and even Sonic couldn’t help but bristle against them on Shadow’s behalf.

But Shadow was already speaking before he had a chance to step in. “Whatever I do is none of your business. I said I wanted no part of this-”

“That’s not possible, I’m afraid.” Sighing, Fleet’s grin softened as he looked between the two. Of all the situations he had dreamt of, he had never imagined to be given an apathetic avatar and a hostile protector. Both who struggled to survive in the same room on a good day. Shadow had fought the idea of the bond from the first day. Such a volatile reaction didn’t lend itself well to the god, how would he react once he knew that it was irreversible?

“You are the only two Xaoc left on this planet that can handle my chaos,” he said instead. A truth that masked a harder truth. “I need you as much as you needed me to survive.” Normally, Fleetway was above holding debts over mortals. But this was anything but a normal situation. “Besides, this contract can offer much more than you will give.”

Shadow glared back coldly. “I don't _want_ it.”

“Well you must find a way to live with it. And to work together.” Fleetway examined them. “And train. Because… you two are woefully inept.”

 _“Hey.”_ Sonic finally cut in. Sure, he was unused to this new speed, but he’d been in the hero business for plenty long now.

“I’m being truthful,” the golden god insisted. “I sensed the battle and… there are… certain areas for improvement.” He told Shadow diplomatically. Until he could find the reason behind the black hedgehog’s resistance to him, he would have to take more roundabout paths. “So! Your training should begin in earnest, I think. Seven hours a day seems reasonable. I’ll meet you here and perhaps the other little blue ones can pitch in from time to time. They seem capable.”

“I’m sorry.” Sonic shook his head. “Training? _Seven hours?”_

“Today will be a short day, I think.” Tapping at his teeth, the god pressed on, lost in thought. “Just to get a feel where you two are at-”

“I don’t have time for this.” Jumping to his feet, Shadow made for the door, fur bristling with animosity.

“It won’t be too bad,” Bartered Fleets, voice honey sweet. “Don’t you want to learn how to wield your fresh chaos _properly?_ I’ll even show you how to form a chaos spear.”

“I already know how to make one.” The black hedgehog huffed haughtily. Though a gleaming intrigue shone in his eyes.

“Oh?” Fleets seemed pleasantly surprised. “Why not show me then? If you’re up to par, I’ll leave you be.” Shadow tensed, ears angled to where Fleets was floating. 

Sonic narrowed his eyes. The god might have spoken genuinely, but he couldn’t help but feel he was luring Shadow right where he wanted him.

Smiling beautifically, the golden figure gestured towards the door. Shadow stared back for a beat, before walking out. 

Fleets grinned. Hook, line, and seeker. Even after five hundred years shattered within his gem, he still had it.

It only took gentle coaxing on Chaos’ part to get Sonic outside alongside Shadow. With the alternative being chaos controlling him there himself, the blue hedgehog followed quite easily.

Shadow wasted no time, gathering the crackling energy and gripping it fiercely with his fist. The spear took rough shape in his hand. Brow furrowed in concentration, Shadow aimed at an empty spot overlooking the forest and released the energy.

Once the dust settled, Sonic whistled lowly, spotting the charred remains of a couple trees. While he hated to admit it, that wasn’t half bad at all.

They both turned to look at Fleetway, Shadow not even bothering to hide his smug smile. The god watched the blackened trees, hand over his grinning mouth.

“Well?” Shadow prompted after a beat.

Nodding stiffly, Fleetway removed his hand, shoulders shaking almost imperceptibly. Was he… trying to not _laugh?_ “Well,” He echoed, voice strained, “you can certainly f-form a spear… of a sort. That’s certainly much further than I thought you might be.” Coughing roughly, he composed himself. “Anyway, _here’s_ a proper chaos spear.”

Hand outstretched, Fleetway let the energy pool into his hand, bleeding out slowly until it began to take shape. The control over the energy was so absolute, no crackling or fizzling in it. Instead, it flowed smoothly, like water, pouring into the air as if there were a mold already waiting for it.

Sonic felt his eyes widen as the spear finally took shape and… it didn’t just _look_ like a spear, but was intricately detailed as well. A perfect, powerful weapon made of pure light and chaos energy, the very air twisted around it, distorted by the heat and power.

Lazily, languidly, but with somehow perfect form (Sonic didn’t even _know_ anything about spear throwing form), Fleetway threw the spear, the shimmering golden light disappearing into a thicket of trees.

A quick blink, and the air erupted with all the force of the blast. Galing winds rushed towards them and even with all the distance between them Sonic could feel the heat of the blast kiss his face.

Shadow stared at the destruction, alarmed and slack jawed. Pleased, Fleetway smiled.

“Alrighty then so, see you two tomorrow morning?

There were good days as one of the five generals of the guard and there were some truly abysmal ones. Running into a gorgeous, far away princess easily landed Scourge’s day into one of the ‘fucking fantastic’ categories. But seeing her accompanied by none other than Silver the Hedgehog? Well, that certainly threw a wrench in Scourge’s once immaculate day.

But her _flames_ were beyond interesting. Chaos could be molded and fitted for one’s specific preferences (ever a traditional, Scourge preferred simply enhancing his own body’s abilities with his chaos, rather than going for something more… showy), but the princess possessed some rather unique abilities. The flames that had threatened to sear him being more than enough evidence of the fact.

“Blaze! I’m so glad I found you.”  
  
The voice made Scourge all but freeze in his tracks, and Silver’s little relieved smile as he recognized the measured tone of the High Priestess nearly made him do something only _slightly_ illegal.

“High Priestess.” Scourge greeted curtly, moving aside to let her pass by him. She only frowned in disapproval- her seemingly constant state- before turning a warm gaze towards Silver and Blaze.

“I see you two have become acquainted with the guard halls, then?”  
  
Silver and Blaze exchanged an uncertain glance before turning to look at Scourge. The general now seemed utterly uninterested in them, his previous animosity snuffed out. In fact, he hardly seemed to mind that they were there, face only the perfect image of professionalism.

Frowning, Blaze studied the general, who was looking past the High Priestess now. There was a set to his shoulders that hadn’t been there earlier.

“Yes, High Priestess.” Silver answered, finally. “I just wanted to show Blaze the new batch of recruits.”  
  
Aleena smiled brightly, Silver not able to help his own small smile in response. “How considerate of you, Silver. So attentive to our guest, going above and beyond in your duties as always, don’t you think General?”

Scourge’s gaze finally snapped back to Silver, resignation heavy in his eyes as he glanced in between the High Priestess and her pupil. Silver seemed to bloom under her attention and the green hedgehog resisted the urge to snarl.

“It’s late. And the Guard Master is expecting me.” The goodbye, if it could be called that, was curt and succinct, the general dipping out of the conversation long before anyone else participating realized he had done so.

Their voices echoed dimly in the stone halls as he walked away, feeling the old familiarity of the walls wrap around him like a blanket.

The Guard Halls kitchens were quiet this late at night, most of the cooks packed up and home for the day. But Scourge didn’t mind. There was an odd tranquility in the empty corridors. Not quite lonely, but peaceful. Moonlight settled in through the high windows of the kitchen, casting the stone walls and table tops in a ghostly, blue hue.

He, like many other soldiers who lived and worked out of the halls, had grown up here. Becoming a guard was not a choice made lightly or easily kept. Many of the people who had joined with him as a child had left, the demands of the life too much for them to handle. 

Opening the cabinets with a gentle hand, Scourge carefully prepared the little tray of tea.

The Guard Master, in his old age, was particular about how he took his tea, Scourge didn’t have any soft spots of which to speak of, but he never had figured out how to tell the Guard Master no.

Heating the water and preparing the cups was a simple task. Calming even. It quieted the fury in his mind that seemed to bubble forth so easily whenever Silver showed his sad, little mug. Seeing the High Priestess in the halls as well… he just hadn’t expected it. That was all.

That was all.

Tray balanced on one gauntleted hand, Scourge made his way out of the kitchens and back up to where the old Grand Master had his rooms now.

A loud beeping caught his attention and the general frowned as he stopped, turning his wrist to read the message that flashed across the communicator.

 _In town. Same old?_  
  
Scourge recognized the messy array of numbers, snorting softly as he shot out a quick reply. Tomorrow afternoon then.

Well, he figured that one afternoon tea on his own wouldn’t affect the Guard Master all that much.

Perched on the hammock, Tails was absorbed in his pad, going through a list of schematics and inventory he could scavenge from his current projects. The ‘grand plan’ was in actuality, quite simple. With Eggman back to his scheming there wasn’t the convenience of extra parts and metal and another (arguably) sharp man. But building an airship that could function as a _space_ ship seemed a worthy use of his mind.

Sonic’s hut was usually a surprisingly quiet place Tails could review his notes and hang around. But today it seemed busier than usual, both Sonic and Shadow arguing with what he could only assume was Fleetway, the golden being visible in a rare moment of clarity. 

Despite the deity’s hand in saving Sonic, Tails couldn’t help but be… wary, for lack of a better word. Existing in the same space akin to sharing the room with a feral panther. 

The air was hot and sticky, the peak of the summer heat hanging in the air. The blue hero hardly seemed fazed by the heat and humidity, unlike Shadow who managed to look even angrier than he normally did.

“Dude!” Sonic sighed, leaning back against the wall. “It was just a chaos spear, what’s the big deal?”

“It’s clear neither of you are up to par or even have the tools with which to begin your training.” Fleetway explained evenly. The flames that made up his quills flickered proudly. “Luckily for us all, I am here, and will keep up my end of the contract.”

Shadow scowled, the mere mention of the contract rubbing his fur the wrong way. Even Sonic frowned, crossing his arms. Hadn’t they both done enough? Chaos was already restored to the world. As far as he’d known, that was the end of that. Neither of them had _asked_ for anything else.

“That’s a bit much, isn’t it?” the blue hedgehog frowned. Shadow looked towards Sonic in surprise, before his expression quickly settled back into a scowl. “Seven hours a day, dude?”

“That’s the standard training time… and you two aren’t ready-”

“Yeah, you’ve _said_ . _”_ Sonic cut him off, annoyed. “But frankly, spending seven hours a day training for something that I hardly even get seems a bit…. Dumb.”

“We agree for the first time, Sonic.” Shadow intoned lowly, glare never leaving the golden god’s form.

Fleetway stared at the two hedgehogs. For the first time in literally centuries he was. Well, he was at a loss. Ever since the First, each avatar had known and been trained into their purpose from birth. The Sentinel had been a later addition, existing to both protect and help an avatar handle the enormous amounts of chaos the connection could sometimes demand, similar to a modern circuit breaker or resistor, but they had always been volunteers. Happy and willing. Never had he had an ignorant ethereal and an unwilling Sentinel.

After the First, he’d never had any who resented him. Sure, they could get a little rebellious in their teenage years, but for an ancient being, Fleetway felt a little out of his depth.

“Dumb or not, I will train you and uphold my end of the contract and you both will do the same.” The words were firm and final. It was frustrating. There was so much that rode on them being able to channel their powers properly and they couldn’t see that. 

This was too important. They were already nearing to be of age and could hardly use their powers without seeming like newborn foals. 

Like a wound, the slaughter of five hundred years ago remained fresh in his mind. Little flames of chaos blipping out of existence left and right, the ones tethered to him flickering out of existence…

They couldn’t end up like the past chosen. Slaughtered away from home, stranded on a foreign planet.

Time worked differently for immortal beings at times. And if he stayed still long enough, he could remember the last smiles he’d seen. Could remember the warmth of a familiar chaos that was now crammed inside a crystal; alone and afraid.

Chaos grit his teeth.

That couldn’t happen again.

Smiling wider, Fleetway looped easily through the air. “Come on, give it a chance. All that skill could come in handy for, what is it you say you do, hero work?”

Sonic frowned, hardly looking intrigued. But before he could shoot Fleets down again, Tails popped up from the hammock.

“You know,” the fox piped up around the pen in his mouth, “training in general could be a good idea. You’ve crashed into lots of things with that new speed, so it could be useful to-” All of a sudden, blinding golden light enveloped him. Yelping, Tails dropped his pad turning to come face to face with the vicious grin and swirling eyes.

“Yes,” Fleets purred happily, turning to Sonic and Shadow. “Don’t discount such wisdom, after all, wasn’t- Tails was it?” At the fox’s tentative nod the god continued, “Tails was the one to nurse you back to health! Like a brother should.”

“Hey, that wasn’t an endorsement.” Tails fought to keep the scowl on his face, forcing his fur to lay flat. More training would be best for the team and for Sonic but he still had his doubts about including Shadow and Fleetway.

The black hedgehog had been derisive of the mere idea of teamwork from the beginning, attacking them time and time again just to prove a point. 

And Fleetway was just a wildcard. Something Tails might not mind terribly, but Sonic had nearly died not even a _week_ ago. Being laid back was Sonic’s whole thing, taking life a day at a time. That was fine by Tails. But he wasn’t going to put his trust or any of his friend’s wellbeings in something he didn’t know or trust. And that included both Shadow and Fleetway.

“Seriously?” Sonic glared incredulously at the fox, why had he chosen now to chime in? “I get along just fine.”

“You did run into a tree.” 

“It was a crowded area!”

“Sonic.” Tails sucked in a breath, sounding like he was trying very hard to be tactful, palms pressed together. “It was a field. But, that’s not the point!” He quickly added. “There’s a lot going on. Some training to get used to it might be a good idea.”

Swirling around, Fleetway fretted. The fox’s earlier words rang through the air around him “Not an endorsement? Who else could possibly teach them?”

“Shadow doesn’t even _want_ to learn.” Tails pointed out. “And what about Tikal? Or- oh! Old Man Tucker?”

Smile icy and razor sharp Fleetway turned away from them. To keep the balance, there were certain things Fleetway could not do. But the Ancient’s existence _tested_ his will. “Don’t mention that pathetic turtle to me. His only use is gathering the remains of the echidnas. Beyond that, I don’t care if he chokes in the void.”

The air in the room chilled at the god’s words and for a sharp moment, they were reminded that this smiling, joking figure, was a deity capable of carrying out his righteous fury.

“There is no one here who knows what I do.” Fleetway continued, “No one _anywhere_ who knows what I do.” Outside, the warm wind curled into the hut, a tender reminder of the living. Fleetway didn’t breathe, but he sighed then, smile curling into something reassuring. “Can you really afford to refuse any help?

Sky blue eyes set quietly swirling ones, and Tails was once again met with the thought that Fleetway’s offer held more than any of them knew. He couldn’t fully trust the god’s motivations, but maybe he could trust in this one common goal for now.

“Fine.” He crossed his arms, looking to Sonic, who looked slightly betrayed and amused. 

Lazy by nature, Sonic wasn’t all that interested in extra work. But, if Tails was changing his tune, that was enough for the hedgehog. He trusted his little bro. And maybe this training could finally set the fox at ease. Soothe some worried frowns that he was far too young to have so often.

 _“Fine._ But you’re treating me to Meh Burger for a week. And I’m super sizing my everything!”

Beside him, Shadow jumped to his feet, shaking himself angrily. “You may be weak enough to be bribed by food, but I will do no such thing.” he scowled. 

“Why’s that?” Chuckling, Fleetway floated up from his spot beside Tails, cradling his head in his hands as he gazed at the black hedgehog. “Oh! I see.” This one was much easier to bait than Sonic was. “Cutting yourself out of the competition early, is that right?”  
  
“I’m above such things, I’ve had enough training-”

“Ah, yes.” Chuckling, Fleetway waved a dismissive hand. “You’re right. Your little display yesterday proved your skill. But I should warn you, once I’m done with little blue,” he stared Shadow down, “he will absolutely wipe the _floor_ with you.”

There was a moment where Sonic really thought Shadow was going to walk out anyway, the set to his mouth and twitch of his ears giving nothing away. 

“I don’t need to train with _you_ to know I can defeat anyone who gets in my way.”

“C’mon Shadow,” Sonic sidled up next to the dark hedgehog. There was no way he was going through the training _alone_ . “Think of it as practice for joining Team Sonic!”

Shadow shoved him, levelling him with a flat glare. “I would rather go back to stasis.”

Snorting, Sonic hardly acknowledged the comment. “Maybe this way, you would be evenly matched when going up against Buck’s Shadow, Terios.” The new nicknames were only kind of useful, Sonic much preferred calling the two Mr. Grumps and Mr. Not-So-Grumps.

“Yeah, I did hear he skated circles around you.” Tails said, nose still buried in his pad. Only a yellow ear flicked in response to Shadow’s glare, meeting Sonic’s hand for a high five with a practiced air. “What do you have to lose?”

“Quality sleep.” Shadow sneered, but it was the only thing anyone had said so far that the black hedgehog seemed to consider. Truly consider. Huffing, he simply shrugged, ignoring the near identical pleased smiles the blue hedgehog and god seemed to be wearing.

“Alright!” Satisfied, Sonic looked back towards the fox. “Little bit of a workout while you work on the ship then? Shouldn’t be that bad.”

Well. As these things oft turn out. It _was_ that bad.

The chaos spears formed by Fleetway were not only better shaped, but were hurled at them _faster_ than they could dodge it.

“Are you getting a kick out of this?!” Sonic wheezed, gripping his side to check for any burns. Shadow was hardly faring any better, the black hedgehog’s skates fizzling out intermittently as he tried to avoid the deadly accurate volley of attacks.

“Me? _No.”_ Biting back a giggle, Fleetway prepared another thin line of attacks. The two hedgehogs were hardly working together, getting in each other’s way more often than not. Truthfully, he’d gotten a feel for their abilities long ago, but Shadow had been reckless the night before and Sonic hardly listened to _anything_ he said. A bit of exhaustion wouldn’t hurt them.

The sun hung low in the sky when Fleetway finally called it a day, surveying the ruined landscape with an approving eye. Destruction wasn’t a commonly indulged penchant of his anymore, but he couldn’t say he didn’t miss it at times.

“Get some rest,” He reminded them cheerily. Keen, swirling eyes honed in on Shadow and Sonic going in opposite ways. “We’ll pick up again tomorrow with something a bit more substantial than today’s warm up.”

Biting back laughter at their horrified faces was a _monumental_ task, but he managed it

The sun rose and curled around the sky. Only when the light began to tint gold did Fleetway finally cease his attacks.

“Not terrible,” He told the two raggled hedgehogs in what he probably thought was a diplomatic tone, but Sonic figured this was how Shadow must feel a majority of the time.

Exhausted with a sprinkling of murderous.

The golden hour was at its peak when Sonic limped back into hedgehog village, Shadow wasting no time to streak in the opposite direction. But the hero could hardly be bothered to enjoy the sight and his newfound silence. Everything _hurt_ and tomorrow the soreness would only be worse.

Tails had texted him not too long ago, asking to meet up with the rest at Meh Burger for dinner. Practically salivating at the thought of food, Sonic urged himself into a slow jog. At the sight of his friends sitting at their usual table, he slowed.

“Sonic! Good of you to finally join us.” Amy huffed, pushing a tray towards him. The usual spicy bacon burger he ordered. A weird noise made its way past his mouth at the sight of the food and Knuckles snickered, tossing him a napkin.

“Thanks Ames!” Quick and clumsily, Sonic all but tore into the burger.

“So!” Tails’ eyes glanced over the dirtied fur and scrapes that looked fresh on Sonic’s arms and torso. “How is uh, how’s training going?”

Shoulders slumping slightly, Sonic rolled his eyes. “It’s…. A little insane.” he admitted. “I think he’s mainly enjoying making us run nonstop and trying to pelt us with chaos spears.”

Knuckles snickered and Amy covered her mouth. “That sounds productive. I think.” Tails however, gripped his cup tighter.

“I guess. Apparently, BB, Buck and Wachowski will show up at some point, once the communicator is a bit more reliable. Fleets suggested little team ups.” Sonic shoved the rest of the burger into his mouth, reaching for the remains on Tails’ tray. “Honestly, I’ll take anything that doesn’t involve directly fighting that guy.”

Sneaking a couple of fries from his stolen tray, Tails nodded, tapping the edge of his tablet beside him. “Should only take me about three weeks to outfit a ship to go up to the A.R.K.”

Instantly, the atmosphere at the table changed. A dim veil falling over the group. Sonic had filled them in on the A.R.K. and why it was necessary for them to visit the space station… and Buck had filled them in on the dark history it held in his own world.

 _Don’t be surprised if it’s the same,_ he had warned, serious for once.

Sonic found himself wondering if it was worth it. But the A.R.K. arguable held the most powerful satellite they could find. A quick visit to locate the remaining chaos crystals, and they could all be on their merry way out. 

The thought of a massive, asteroid shaped, abandoned space station in orbit was more than a little creepy. Fifty years… if the Shadow’s were to be believed. That was an awfully long time.

Frowning, Sticks put down her fish burger, the edge of the fin flapping weakly against the bun. “You have to be careful.” All eyes turned to her at the sudden serious tone, a rare thing to come from the badger.

“Why’s that, Sticks?” Amy asked.

Sticks looked down at her hands, placed on the table. “The call of the void. You can’t hear it here, but my tribe always said it was strongest in places of death.” She tapped a finger against her ears. “Badgers can hear it pretty well sometimes. We spent a lot of time underground.”

Turning to Sonic, she handed him something small. 

A box of matches.

“You need to burn your bedsheets to ward off the call!” The sudden blurt made them all jump, some of the tension shaken from the air.

Sonic rolled his eyes, tucking the small box in his quills. This was definitely more in line with the badger’s personality. “Alright, alright.”

Frustrated, Sticks continued rambling about the call, insisting that only _burning_ their bedsheets would keep them hidden.

It was something simple and grounding, sitting at a table at Meh Burger with his friends. Sonic leaned back in his chair and listened to their chatter, content to simply be a spectator to their conversations. The tension from earlier was gone, dissipated into the warm, golden air. Beside him, Tails punched his shoulder as he laughed at something Knuckles had said and Sonic felt a deep contentment settle in his chest.

There truly was nothing better than simple joys.

Breathing in, the sharp scent of spices pierced the jackal’s delicate nose. It really had been awhile since he’d come back home. The loud bustle of the market was the same as ever, the crowd shuffling, flashes of bright colors from bolts of cloth and cooking stalls catching his eye. Shaking his head, Infinite pressed on. The guard halls weren’t terribly far now.

Rounding the corner, he stepped towards the cobbled street that wound towards the temple. Infinite slowed, looking around. Somewhere nearby, he had said…

“Oy! Feeny!” 

Scowling at the nickname, Infinite turned to see the familiar form of the green hedgehog, grinning smugly.

“I told you not to call me that.”

“C’mon buddy. So long since your last visit and that’s the greeting I get? What, no kiss hello?”

Infinite dead panned, holding up a fist, “How about a love tap instead?”

Rolling his eyes, Scourge clapped him harshly on the shoulder. “Shut up. Come on, your favorite place is still around.”

It was an old tradition, dating back to when they were both still young and running out from the temple halls and into the small courtyard. A small tea shop that had been around longer than any of them, the smoothed stones and crooked windows a fixture that was as integral as the church itself. 

Entering as if he owned the place, Scourge cut a direct path to a worn table nestled near a window overrun with vines. Ordering the same thing they always did, Scourge leaned back in his chair, eyeing the jackal with a scrutinizing gaze. Infinite curled a hand around the cup of tea that was placed in front of him, avoiding the green hedgehog’s probing stare with a practiced air.

“You keep staring any longer and I’ll think you’re interested.” Infinite said idly. Scourge snorted. 

Long before he had ever dreamt of joining the guard, Scourge had known Infinite. Running around, wiping dirt from their faces and fighting with the sons of the generals back then… The green hedgehog wasn’t sentimental by any stretch, but the loyalty between the two ran deep.

“Something’s up.” The general noted quietly. And when Infinite's shoulders tensed, he knew it to be true. Frowning, Scourge leaned forward. 

The jackal said nothing for a moment, sipping from the rounded, green cup, but Scourge could be patient when it suited him.

“I’m going to be away for a bit.” Infinite said finally. “Me and a couple of my pack.”

Unimpressed, Scourge raised a brow. This was hardly news. Few people knew the jackal was a mercenary, as he kept his business far away from his home planet. It wasn’t unheard of for Infinite to go dark for a couple of weeks or months at a time, called away to ‘work.’ Scourge didn’t care what the jackal was up to, so long as it was kept away from his own turf.

“It’s only for a couple of weeks… maybe over a month if it drags on.” Infinite continued, “but I wanted to let you know. Just in case-”

 _“Wait.”_ Shutting his eyes, Scourge tried to process what he had said, a bitter chuckle making its way out. “ _‘Just in case’._ Shut your mouth for a second what do you mean ‘just in case?’”

Shooting him a wry smile Infinite sipped from his tea, a floral blend he had favored since his early teens. “Make up your mind, Scourge. Do you want me to shut up or elaborate?”

Lips twitching in the beginnings of a snarl, the green hedgehog tapped his fingers, armored gauntlet gently clicking against the wood. “You know what I mean, you ass. Now explain yourself. You know I fucking hate riddles.”

“Oh right,” chuckling the jackal leaned back. “What was that one the High Priestess asked your class at one point?”

“Ugh. ‘What gleams in sacred fire but cannot be seen by focused eyes?’”

The beginnings of a smile played on Infinite’s lips, remembering. “And what was the answer?”

“Order. Apparently.”

The jackal snorted. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Shrugging, Scourge knocked back another swig of his tea. “No clue, I left the next day, remember?” He straightened abruptly, shooting the smug jackal a dirty look. “You bastard I know what you’re doing. Quit distracting from the issue.” Leaning forward again Scourge levelled him with a glare.

“What’s going on.”

The shop bustled around them. And Infinite sighed.

“This job… I can’t turn it down.”

“Bullshit.” Scourge spat and be it a snarl or a smile, the corners of Scourge's mouth pulled back.

“I can’t.” Infinite insists, and the ends of Scourge’s spines prickled at the glint of desperation he caught. “I’m taking the job. That’s happening.” Face smoothing out once more, Infinite stared at the smooth table top. “I just wanted to let you know.”

Unsaid words hung between them, but they didn’t bother Scourge all too much. Sharply, he rapped a fingertip against the wood. “If there’s something else, anything you need…"

Infinite huffed, he placed his green cup onto the table in front of him, mindful, careful and quiet, “I know.” 

Satisfied, Scourge polished off his cup of tea, his job done. “Now that your drama is all done and settled, come with me to the marketplace. I don’t know what the fuck you’re wearing but it’s a gods damned offense to my eyes.”

Blinking, Infinite looked down at the fabric of his cloak. It was worn and dark, but served its purpose. “What’s wrong with my-”

“I literally don’t have the time to list everything that’s wrong with it so just come with me to the market, yeah?”

Leaving the proper coin on the table, the two left the teashop, nodding a friendly goodbye to the owner. The general and jackal had their reputation, but so did the owner of the oldest tea shop in the city. And one certainly outranked the other. 

Buck blipped back into the universe a week later, as he’d promised. The construction of the ship was well on its way, but nowhere near completion (much to Terios’ disappointment). Wrangled into a sparring session, the pair faced off against Fleetway’s spear-happy hands.

Clearly, they knew how to fight each other, and with one another very well. Fleetway hid his surprise, finding they dodged his attacks with relative ease, only struggling when he cycled in other styles of attack. Even when they faced off against Scarfz and Cuffs, Buck and Terios flowed like water, experience lending them a greater advantage.

A week after that brought BB to Scarfz’ doorstep. The tiny hedgehog was a force unto himself and had apparently heard from Buck that there was a uppity god. Using a communicator test as an excuse, he swaggered up to the god and wasted no time.

When it came to speed, BB was nearly on par with his modern self, but where Buck’s attacks spoke of experience and skill, BB’s were sharpened with the sheer will to win. 

Fleetway couldn’t even truly say he was defeated. The small hedgehog kept finding ways to rise to his feet no matter how many times he was knocked down.

“Please take him,” He told Scarfz a day later, the tiny hedgehog gearing up for yet another attack, nearly falling asleep as he curled for a spindash. “He hasn’t eaten and I think he’s going to pass out soon.”  
  
Appeased with all the fries and chilidogs he could eat, BB slept for another full day before returning to his own world, satisfied with the ‘communicator testing.’

Scarfz was grateful for these visits, having gotten a couple days of respite from training. He was only just starting to become accustomed to Shadow’s lurking presence.

Every night, the surly hedgehog stalked off to sleep gods knew where and each morning without fail, he awoke on the same couch. The hero had since taken to cheerily greeting a furious Shadow in the mornings. He rarely received a response back, but it was the thought that counted, he decided.

On the third week, Wachowski paid a visit. Beyond ecstatic to see the kid, Scarfz yanked him into a rough, one-armed hug. Even Tails seemed to brighten at his visit, emerging from his workshop long enough to say hello and ask about Wachowski’s own Tails (an individual he’d wanted to meet for quite some time now).

“Aren’t you going to ask him to fight you?” Scarfz had finally asked Fleets, the golden figure taking to floating around Wachowski, examining him curiously.

“Him? Not at all, such a sweet boy.” His eyes glinted and Scarfz sighed. There it was. “Train with _you_ , though. That sounds like a treat.”

Wachowski was on board in a heartbeat. He’d raced the other Blue Devils but none had yet to teach him much in the ways of fighting. Fighting Wachowski wasn’t something Scarfz was too keen on, so when Fleetway explained his idea he brightened considerably.

“We just have to find him?” Shadow asked, eyeing the smaller Sonic with a disapproving glare.

“You have to catch him.” Fleetway corrected, shaking a clawed finger. “He’s a fast one, one of the fastest I’ve seen. And very light on his feet.” At the compliment Wachowski bashfully ducked his head. “Give him a head start, then the hunt begins.”

“A hunt.” Brightening at the words, Shadow actually smiled. “Finally, some interesting training.”

“We’re not hurting him.” Sonic couldn’t tell if the black hedgehog was just being really intense or not. But Wachowski was a good kid. Training or not, he wouldn’t let him get hurt for him anymore.

In the end, there was very little to worry about. By the time they found any hint of the kid the sun was well on its way to setting. Wachowski had taken to hiding in a forest and he was _quick._ His blue after image weaved through the foliage, easily running up into low hanging branches and looping back around when Scarfz and Shadow would run past him. Only his giggles gave him away.

The sun had set only minutes before, but in the dense forest little remaining daylight made it through. “Stop getting in my way!” Shadow hissed through the dark, shoving a fumbling Sonic back. 

“Dude how can you even see?” Scarfz blindly reached for Shadow again, preferring to be shaken by the black hedgehog rather than run into another tree again.

“Enhanced night vision is a part of my design.” Was the curt reply before Shadow stalked off into the darkness. Whatever comment Scarfz had morphed into a yelp when he felt a hand wrap around his.

“Sorry!” Wachowski’s small form appeared next to his. “You were about to walk into a tree.” His smile turned smug. “ Again.”

Scarfz blinked at the kid, green eyes flicking to the small hand in his before a victorious grin twisted on his lips.

“HAH! I _caught_ him, Shadow!”

Wachowski rolled his eyes, wincing at Shadow’s colorful language, reaching them from a clearing over.

“Don’t mind him.” Scarfz shrugged. “You up for some popcorn?”

Placated, Wachowski stayed for a movie before Buck arrived to pick him up. Greeting the kid with a quick quill ruffle, Buck raised a brow at the unmistakable sight of Shadow passed out on the couch in the corner of the hut.

“Shut it. Fleets usually brings him here once he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up, he’s such a grouch.”

A soft snort left Buck’s mouth as he shook his head. “Right. Well, I’ll just take Wachowski back to his parents then.” He paused at the doorway, the hedgehog village glowing dimly in the distance. “Next week?”

Knowing what he meant, Scarfz shook his head. “Tails said testing on the ship was going well. Give it a couple days at most.”

Whispering another salute and goodbye, Wachowski and Buck disappeared into the night. The days would flow like water, training coming a little easier as they began to properly grow into their newfound power. Each day was still demanded more than they could easily give, but Scarfz found joy in the challenge. Even Shadow seemed to have a lighter air around him, the hedgehog quipping back and at times managing to execute an attack with Sonic that, while never hitting the god, was at least executed.

Soon, it was time.

Exhausted, Tails presented his aircraft proudly. It wasn’t huge or grand, but it was sleek and would serve the purpose of carrying the group to the edge of the atmosphere.

“Are you alright, Tails?” Amy reached for his face, dabbing at the eye crusties with a handkerchief she produced out of nowhere. “You look… tired.”

Ducking from her ministrations, Tails busied himself with some final checks. “I’m fine! Honest.” Shooting her a tired smile he flicked a tail tip towards her, Amy relaxing slightly.

Wasting little time, they boarded the ship when Buck and Terios arrived. Tails promised Amy they’d be back safely and had to remind Knuckles he couldn’t bring him any moon rocks because they weren’t going _to_ the moon. Amidst the bustle, Sticks made a beeline for Cuffs, offering him a single parting gift.

“I don’t want your trash.” He growled, looking at the box of matches in his hand. 

“You’ll be grateful for them when you’re trying to ward off the call of the void.” And her words were so odd, serious, that Cuffs only scoffed, tucking the box into his quills.

Tails steered the ship up through the atmosphere, cutting through the air smoothly. But exiting the atmosphere was another matter entirely. The craft shook and shuddered as it moved through the different layers of the atmosphere and worried eyes darted towards their young pilot. They only took comfort when Tails shot them a smile, confident in his construction.

The rest of the trip was anything but silent, engines and systems humming and whirring enough to fill the chasm within, but no one spoke. The air grew colder, Scarfz’ stomach doing flips as gravity lost its hold on them. 

Minutes stretched out, wandering through the empty void much like the modified airship. How frightening that the only thing separating them from a deadly emptiness was a couple sheets of metal and insulation.

Preparing the ARK for their arrival was a morbid affair. With the small airship hooked up to the side of the A.R.K., Tails managed to access the ship's systems.

“I can’t believe the generators are still functional.” He muttered under his breath. Neither Terios nor Cuffs looked too shocked by this, however. This ARK was already different than the one Terios knew. Larger for one, but both had clearly been built to last, taking the rough shape of an asteroid to better it’s camouflage. The pinnacle of human technology at the time.

Activating the A.R.K.’s emergency life support systems was simple enough, but it was an hour later that a small portion of the structure was ready. The unused filtration system wheezed to life, pumping oxygen back into its walls, warming them enough to move through. 

Silent, Cuffs focused on a strip of metal, drowning out the horribly familiar ambient sounds of the A.R.K. 

Stepping through the threshold felt surreal, as if they were entering a forgotten grave. Sonic reminded himself that they were in the void of space; it was only natural the chill pervade the metal structure, despite the activated life support system. But even Fleets seemed subdued, the normally boisterous god taking to peering out the windows, smile hardly flickering to life.

“It’s a little different.” Buck muttered, looking less put off by their gloomy surroundings. 

“Fifty years is a long time, even when untouched.” Approaching a wall, Terios reached out, frowning when his glove came back blackened with ash. What had happened here? His own ARK had not suffered this form of damage.

They pressed on, Tails following the layout of their schematics religiously. Cuffs remained silent, refusing to provide any assistance even when prompted.

Face buried in the screen, Tails’ brow furrowed as he tried to make out the right paths amidst the 3D layout on his scream. Finally, he found it, his exclamation startling the hedgehogs around him.

“Where to, Tails?” Scarf asked fondly. The fox had gotten so wrapped up in the navigation he’d hardly noticed the ash that had gathered at the bottom of his twin tails, turning the golden fur to a copper brown. The burnt material seemed to be splattered across the ground and walls.

With a flick of twin tails, the fox set off into a hallway to their right. “This way!” Hardly sparing a glance to his surroundings he moved through the Ark, glancing up just enough to avoid running into any walls or obstacles.

“Tails!” Streaking after him, Scarfz cursed playfully under his breath. Despite the grimness of their surroundings, he couldn’t help but feel the bubble of joy in his chest. Tails was only like this when a project really interested him, really grabbed hold. Seeing him look at anything with that sort of wonder, well, Sonic wanted to preserve that. 

Buck was already hot on their tail, the squeak of his sneakers against the metal flooring giving him away. The yellow lights in the hallway were grimy and dim, casting more shadows than they banished, but Tails hardly seemed to mind. He tripped on dark debris every so often, but managed to catch himself just as swiftly.

“We’re close! I’m sure of it!” He called back, eyes never straying from the screen.

“Close to what?”

The shadows that streaked by seemed familiar, in the sense that the shapes were ones Scarfz had seen before. The dark, streaked images niggled at the back of his mind, demanding to be recognized, but if he slowed down now he’d lose Tails entirely.

“Tails! Close to- oh no-!” Tripping over something in the dark, Scarfz fell face first into the metal flooring, groaning even as Buck’s lighter footsteps came to a stop behind him. “Ha ha,” Scarfz let the other hedgehog pull him to his feet, scowling lightly at his grin. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up.”

“C’mon, Tails is surprisingly fast when he’s on the hunt.” Buck jogged down the hallway, trying to catch a glimpse of the glowing screen or the flash of golden fur through the corridors.

Muttering in agreement, Scarfz jogs alongside Buck, head swivelling as they pass through hallways. Tails had been weaving through the flickering darkness easily with the map on hand. But it seemed like both Sonic would have to try their luck at picking the right path.

“Should we split up?” Scarfz scratched his mussed quills, fur puffing up against the chill that permeated the space station. “Might get luckier if we do.” But the argument died in his throat at Buck’s unimpressed stare. Behind the blue hedgehog, both Cuffs and Terios peered down another dark hallway.

“You wanna split up… in an abandoned space station… in space?”

Scarf threw his hands in the air. “Do you wanna explore this station room by room? You saw how huge it was on Tails’ map!”

Buck frowned. “It would take us, what? Ten seconds _max_ to zip through this entire area?”

Resisting the urge to massage his temples, Scarfz opted for only rolling his eyes. _“Fine._ But we stick together.”  
  
“Oh, _now_ he wants to stick together…”

Ignoring the comment (as the mature, older one of the bunch should do) Scarfz gestured for Buck to continue, following the other hedgehog easily. They zipped through the area, folding around, doubling back, and screeching to abrupt halts as the hallways demanded. They rarely backtracked, the action only necessary when a dead end offered no other way forward. 

Soon enough, they ran across the still, golden form of the fox.

The room was large, not as large as the dark observatory they had passed through (a room that had made all the fur on Scarfz body prickle with… _something)_ and was surrounded by windows that showed the endless expanse of the void beyond.

Scarfz walked towards a window, unable to believe that the shimmering image below was Mobius, surrounded by an expanse of darkness that seemed surreal in it’s vastness.

“I found where to hook up!” Tails piped up happily, his cheery voice breaking through the chittering silence of the room. Wincing, Scarfz shot him a smile.

“That’s good, bud. Let me know when you need me.”

As if summoned, Fleets appeared, this time little more than a flickering flame at his shoulder. The behavior was nothing short of strange for the usually boisterous god.

“What’s up with you?” Scarfz prodded at a flame, “You afraid of heights?”

Scoffing lightly, Fleets dared to burn a little brighter, sending the shadows scattering back with his flames.

“Nonsense. It’s just… so much Order.”

Looking around, Scarfz couldn’t figure out what he meant by that. The room was well and fully trashed. Destroyed consoles, ash and black streaks covering the walls and ground. Whatever had happened here had not been prevented, only contained.  
  
“The place looks plenty messy to me.” Scarfz quipped. But Fleetway only answered with a weak smile, flickering in and out of sight while Tails worked on his tablet, the wires pooled around his feet and leading into the blackened terminal.

The hum of the air scrubbers filled the gaping silence, and Scarfz opted for watching his brother instead of staring out the gaping expanse.

Tails was absolutely smeared with soot, dark streaks running through his fur. It was a kinda familiar sight, where instead of ash it’d be engine oil staining his fur, apron and gloves.  
  
“There!” Putting aside the tablet, Tails turned back to the terminal. “Messed with some of the environment settings. Added more oxygen and humidity. Should warm up and be easier to breathe soon enough.”

Nodding, Scarz turned to pace around the room, inspecting the darker corners for anything interesting. So alone for many years, there weren’t even any cobwebs cluttering up the area. A dim sheen caught his eye, one of the blackened patches near an air vent forming condensation. Idly, Scarfz reached out to touch the droplets.

His glove came away red.

For a long moment, he looked between the red streak on his glove and the blackened, wet metal.

_Burnt._

Now that he paid attention, the streaks and splatters that were spread over the walls seemed less like random burns. Wide, green eyes followed the streak to where it ended on the ground. How had he not seen them before? 

_The bodies._

Scrabbling back, Scarfz sucked in a breath.

There was. How-

How many?

A wordless yell escaped from his mouth, he wasn’t even sure who he was calling. But instantly, gold filled his vision, the familiar voice of Fleetway echoing in the silence.

“Shh, go back to the window. It’s alright. Don’t look.”

And when terrified green eyes tried to dart around the room, Fleetway seemed to burn brighter, taking up his field of vision with branched out flames.

“It’s alright, child. Only a bit of Order, you don’t need to be afraid when I’m with you.”

Hearing the yell, Buck had run over, seeing the shaken Scarfz, the red glove, and eventually the darkened forms slumped on the ground. Recognizing the shapes for what they were, his eyes hardened.

“Everything okay?” Tails’ voice rang out from the other side of the room, attention still fixed on the main terminal.

“Just peachy!” Buck lied easily. “Scarfz here tripped on a wire or something.”

Scarfz felt his mouth work weakly against the lie, the dark images stark in his mind. “But the-”

They scattered when Buck clasped his shoulder reassuringly, voice low. “No need for Tails to worry about that right now, kay?”

Scarfz hardly seemed reassured, shivering as he noticed the ash that had gotten on him as well. “The ash.”

Buck looked at the streaks across the wall. There were few organic things that could burn along the A.R.K. He looked around, freezing after a moment. They were missing people.

“Did we leave Cuffs and Terios behind?”

With something else to focus his thoughts, Scarfz looked around. “They were with us when we stopped, I didn’t notice whether they were behind us when we walked in.”

“They weren’t with you when you two came in,” Tails chimed in from the other side of the room, twisting stripped wires together. “I thought maybe they were checking something else out.” Twisting the wires one final time, he sat back with a victorious exclamation, looking at the messy array of stripped wires beneath the blackened console with pride. “I think the satellite is functional, just finished hooking it up to my own device.”

Rising to his feet, he didn’t notice either hedgehog wince at the ash that covered his feet and hands. “You ready to try this out?”

Swallowing his doubt, Scarfz took the heavy tablet, Fleetway appearing to curl around his shoulder. “Will this work?” The god asked him silently, gaze fixed on the empty screen with a desperate intensity. “Will it show me where they are?”

Scarfz had only known the entity for a little over a month now, but uncertainty was a jarring look on him. One he knew must not come naturally to him. “‘Course it will.” He assured him, grinning brightly. “Tails is a genius. C’mon, let’s give it a whirl.”

“I’ll need both your energies,” Tails explained, stepping back. “However… that can work for you two.”

Fleetway looked at Scarfz for a moment. He had known his energy from the time it had first flickered into existence and hoped that, against all odds, _this_ one would survive and find him. Restore him. This little one did not yet understand truly how special he was… and how much more he would accomplish.

But. One day at a time. It was the advice from someone long gone who had laughed at the impatience and directness of a god. 

_One day at a time is all anyone has, really._

Sometimes, mortals could offer valuable words.

Razor smile brightening in response, Fleets accepted the invitation. 

Like a match set aflame, Sonic burned with the energy. This time it was less painful than before. Like his speed, it felt as if it were _meant_ to be. Fleetway didn’t take over the tether entirely, instead offering his energy as a battery would.

Cuffs should have been here, to share in the burden, but Scarfz felt confident. His body felt full to the brim with energy, but his fur was still blue. He was still him. “Okay Tails,” the hedgehog smiled at the fox then. “Walk me through how this works.”

He had known coming back would be a bad idea. He had _known_ it and still let himself be baited. Furious, Cuffs followed the two blue hedgehogs, scoffing derisively as they let the tiny fox lead the group. How he had been roped into this situation was beyond him. His help at the start of all this should have been _enough_ but of course, they would demand more.

People always demanded more. More than he wanted to give. More than he could give.

The air in the hallway was stale. This section of the A.R.K. had not been a part of his training schedule…

The echoes rang in his ears. The clipped, cold conversation of the people in labcoats talking over his head, hardly looking at him as they decided what torture they’d place him through that day.

Cuffs was brought to reality when Scarfz tripped, the blue hedgehog looking sheepish as he brushed the ash from his chest.

To his side, the curve of a dark corridor caught his eye.

Morning walks to the training deck. One of the few glimpses of peace. Walking with Mar-

“What are you looking at? Come on.” Terios’ rough voice jerked him out of the thought once more. Shaking off the chill of the memories, Cuffs focused on the space directly in front of him.

“Mind your business.” Snarling, Cuffs turned to walk down the corridor, trying to place the odd ring of familiarity he’d felt earlier. It wasn’t just old memories. Something had happened on his last days on the A.R.K. 

Small glimpses of a memory struggled to resurface. Had he run through here before? That was impossible. He hadn’t been allowed to run anywhere except on the treadmill. That damned thing with a prod at the end that shocked him when he slowed, jerking his small limbs back into action.

Turning a corner, Cuffs continued, feeling like he was wading through a nightmare that had yet to grip him. He hardly heard the sound of footsteps behind him, Terios shadowing him with something like concern in his eyes.

Cuffs was… acting differently. After splitting from the two Sonics it was like he was being affected by his surroundings, ears slowly flattening against his skull, movements measured but jerky. It was a far cry from how Terios had returned to the place of his creation. He had expected rage and fury from the black hedgehog, but not fear _._

Abruptly, Cuffs turned right, moving through the hallway with a sure stride. Following him, Terios did his best to mentally map out their direction to make their way back.

“Where are we going?” He finally asked, annoyed.

Cuffs turned his head, red eyes flashed in the dark. _“I’m_ going to the old lab.” Though cold, his voice was small in the emptiness.. “But if you’re so insistent on following me, you may as well see the truth for yourself.”

Cuffs didn’t care what other people thought. But seeing another Shadow so blatantly defending Maria… loving her. All as he once had. 

It didn’t matter. Soon he’d see. They were getting close to it now. The lab where they laid him bare, strapped him to a table and watched him snarl, scream, beg, and finally fall silent.

It wasn’t much longer until they reached his destination, the silence offering no respite beyond their footsteps and the wheezing gasp of the vents. Cuffs felt his breath catch in his throat as he approached the door, but pushed down the festering emotions. With a confidence he didn’t truly possess, he forced open the doors, the scream of the metal making both hedgehogs flinch.

The lab was… not as he remembered.

Once pristine and organized, the room was lit with the same dirty light. Tables were overturned and shattered glass littered the floor, catching the weak light like tiny stars. The main terminal for this station was across the room. Disgust crossed his features as he saw dark shapes slumped on the ground or against the wall.

“Are you happy now?” He bit out, gesturing at the space around them. The very air seemed to carry the silence of the dead. 

But Terios wasn’t listening to him, instead clicking through the main terminal.

Cuffs froze. “What the hell are you doing?”

“You said she tricked you.” Terios answered curtly. “I don’t believe that, and this lab tells me nothing I don’t already know. She couldn’t… She _wouldn’t.”_

Cuffs scoffed, but didn’t approach to see what he would be looking at. He had lived it all after all.

But when her voice filtered through the air, digitized and as he remembered it, he couldn’t help but jolt in alarm. The years had softened the cut of his broken heart, but it felt jagged and fresh all over again. 

_“Experiment S5872 has been reacting positively.”_ It was cold. Analytical. And even Terios seemed at a loss. This young woman who was much older than his Maria… but it was undeniable they were the same person. The same golden hair framing blue eyes that offered no warmth. _“Last week’s problems were not repeated when reminded of that noncompliance would lead to isolation, an effective tactic given the Black Arms hive mind structure.”_

She chuckled here and Cuffs winced, ears flat against his head. He remembered… the dark room. Being _alone_ and feeling like he might very well die. Screaming and begging for Maria to return. Voice splinters and broken glass until there was nothing more to give.

When they’d brought him out, he promised to be good. He’d promised.

Terios clicked to another video, but Cuffs didn’t have the strength to get a glimpse of his reaction, eyes unseeingly glued to a dark burnt patch on the wall. Her voice continued to bore into his head, unrelenting.

 _“We gathered plenty of samples today. S5872 was not conscious by the end of the extraction. An unfortunate incident.”_ It was too much. Clamping his hands over his ears, Cuffs tried to block out her voice.

Why? After fifty years, after finally realizing she had only pretended to care for him to get him to obey, _why_ did he still love her? The unfairness of it all roiled in his head, a messy, boiling pot of festering thoughts that had never truly let him go.

A hand landed gently on his shoulder. Jerking away, Cuffs looked down at Terios. The terminal was off and the shorter hedgehog seemed older. Tired.  
  
“I.” He glanced back at the darkened terminal, the weight of this new knowledge settling across him. “I’m sorry.”

It was a simple peace offering that hung in the air.

But Cuffs didn’t _want_ his pity. He’d never needed it before and he sure as hell didn’t need it now. Jerking his shoulder away, he stepped back.

But before he could offer a biting comment- _any_ biting comment- a powerful, golden pulse ran through the room.

Explaining the nature of the modified satellite hadn’t been as painful as Scarfz had expected. He wasn’t a natural whizz with technology like Tails was, but he had grown pretty familiar with some of the basic aspects of the tech Tails usually messed with.

Fleetway would direct the nature of the search, Scarfz simply serving as a medium for the satellite.

A couple of minutes in, a blip showed up on the screen.

“Found one already!” Frowning at the screen, Tails rocked back on his heels to make a note. “Not an exact location, but that’s the best it can do. Two more left.”

Encouraged by the results, Fleetway concentrated, daring to probe even beyond the space station into the emptiness of space. Unsurprisingly, he was met with nothing.

“Another one!” Tails exclaimed after another couple of minutes had passed. Making a mark in a notepad he nodded to Scarfz, eyes bright with their small victories. “Different continent but shouldn’t be a problem. One more to go.”

Minutes passed. Soon, fifteen had come and gone, and Scarfz could feel the growing tension in the room.

 _Where is he?_ Fleetway’s voice tickled in his head.

“Relax,” Scarfz tried to reassure him. “We found two, he’s gotta be somewhere right?”

“Try expanding the range?” Tails suggested, even Buck peering curiously over his shoulder despite being the same height at the fox.

Nervous now, Scarfz did as he was told, doing his best to redirect his thoughts away from failure. Fleetway felt… strongly about these crystals. Not finding them simply wasn’t an option.

Another fifteen minutes came and went.

Nothing.

_Where is he? Where is he he should be here where is he-_

The energy surged through him, drowning him. A live wire fit to burst.

“Hey dude, slow down okay-”

But it was like trying to fight against a raging fire. Their delicate balance lurched and Fleetway bled recklessly into Scarfz, threatening to take over in the panic.

Eyes widening, Scarfz mouth worked open weakly. 

“Hey, hey wait Fleets _wait-”_ But it was too late. Fleetway leaned into the tether entirely and Scarfz was shoved beneath the surface once more. Buck yanked Tails back, disbelief writ across his face as Scarfz burned gold.

Trembling, spiral eyes stared down at the tablet in their hands. One thought circling his mind. 

The last crystal. The last one he had to find. Gripping the tablet tight, Fleetway felt the metal threaten to crack and snap beneath his host’s hold.

_Where are you?_

In a burst of perfect, golden light, the chaos surged out, guided only by that single question.

Pushed back, Buck grabbed onto Tails, stabilizing them in the aftershocks. When Fleetway raised his- Scarfz’- head, Buck didn’t hesitate to shove the fox behind him.

But as abruptly as his panic had overwhelmed him, it bled away in the following seconds. Fleetway looked thoughtful now, a soft smile adorning his face. He had never thought to look _within_ the A.R.K., the structure being the only place that might escape the reach of the satellite. And as his chaos had surged outward he had sensed him, pulsing weakly.

In the gentlest of movements, he set down the tablet, walking towards the large center console in the room. It had been overlooked entirely by Tails, overlooked entirely by them all.

Removing the metal casings like they were mere paper, the molten, golden form of Scarfz and Fleetway dismantled the center console, Buck and Tails only able to watch.

Fleetway wondered how the soul had lasted so long, surrounded by emptiness and death. “There you are.” He whispered gently. So slowly and carefully, he removed the golden crystal from its spot, claws clinking quietly against the gem’s surface. 

So they had used him to power the A.R.K. at some point? Fleetway was glad the station had burned them all, saving him the trouble.

Handing the crystal to Buck, he began to slowly extract himself from Scarfz’ body. The desperation from earlier was gone, an otherworldly warmth suffusing the air. “Be gentle with him.” Fleetway murmured, slipping away, eyes soft as they looked at the crystal.

Returning to the front, Scarfz shuddered, gasping harshly.

Knees hit the cold metal hard, sending a streak of pain through him. Clutching at his chest, Scarfz breathed deeply, eyes blinking blearily in the dim light. Head swimming, he tried to focus on Tails in front of him, wondering what Fleets had done this time to put that look on the fox’s face.

Once the golden pulse had flashed through, the lights had flickered, as if threatening to snuff out entirely. In the wake and the silence, both black hedgehogs stared at the other. 

“We should find the others.” Terios said, breaking the silence first.

Moving back through the hallways was slow going, Terios turning every so often to make sure Cuffs was still behind him. 

The hallway was dark and eerie, the darkness seeming to whisper out to him. Cuffs kept his eyes resolutely ahead. Terios didn’t seem to hear anything out of the ordinary. The darkness and whispers seemed to follow him like a train, calling out to him from nothing.

The badger’s annoying claims of the ‘call of the void’ rang in his head once more.

As they walked past an arching hallway, an overturned crate caught his eyes. Something he realized he’d seen long ago, on his last day on the A.R.K.

The alarms had blared and he had been tranquilized, feeling the heat of flames lick the air around him with hungry movements. To this day, he didn’t know how he had survived and found himself on a stasis pod in the desert.

“Someone carried me.” He spoke finally, stopping in front of the hallway’s entrance. Without waiting for Terios, Cuffs sped down the path, dark forms slumped in the corners, but he didn’t stop to pay them any mind.

At the end of the hallway were two metal doors. Sealed shut. ‘EMERGENCY LAUNCH PODS’ read the sign above, but Cuffs wasn’t looking at the sign, already slipping fingers in between the seam of the doors to pry them open.

“What are you doing?” 

“Someone carried me,” Cuffs repeated. “Placed me in a stasis pod and launched me out. I want to know who it was.”

The curiosity burned. Even Terios couldn’t deny that. Would those doors exhume more twisted truths or offer Cuffs peace. But before he could speak a familiar voice snipped through the dark.

 _“There_ you guys are!” Buck skid to a halt, breathe huffing out in a chill. “Geez you two look like you’ve seen some ghosts.”

He had the decency to flick an ear apologetically at the twin glares. “Right. Sorry. But we have to go.” Gesturing for the two to follow, Buck moved through the hall at a brisk pace. “Scarfz is pretty out of it and we got what we came for.”

Jogging to keep up, Terios fell into stride. “What was that surge of chaos?”

His interest was only further piqued when Buck’s face darkened. “I’ll explain later.” Came the curt reply.

Giving the doors one last look, Cuffs reluctantly turned to follow.

In the darkness, the doors stood, sealed with a secret half a century long.

The lights flickered bravely before snuffing out, giving way, as all things do, to the stillness of order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lorebit: With two moons, the tides on the Xaoc planet are much more vicious than on mobius. As a result, most of the planet's population lives firmly inland, summer months being prime time to visit the beaches.
> 
> The badger tribes, while not as established as the echidnas once were, are an old, stable group of people! 
> 
> \--
> 
> Thanks again for your patience!
> 
> Crazy, crazy time with work and life. But have a humongous chapter to appease!
> 
> Ren and Fourth are my rocks. a-gentle-dab has joined our little chat group and I'm so incredibly lucky to have such a great group of motivating/creative people.
> 
> Leave me your thoughts if that's your jam!


	4. Simple Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaze and Silver spend the day together. Sonic and Shadow become used to their new 'normal'. A pack moves onto a secretive mission.

Blaze had read up on the planet long before she ever thought about visiting. A warrior race of mostly hedgehogs and a handful other species that, according to legend, had made a pact with chaos itself to fight against the Black Arms. Her own planet had been sucked into war against the Black Arms centuries ago, aligning themselves with the Xaoc’s superior technology and fighting prowess and adopting their religion in turn.

The Xaoc were an odd bunch. Reclusive but kind. If an entire planet could be both flighty and helpful it was them. Blaze remembered poring over books about this mysterious group of people, absorbing all the scant information that was known about their culture, planet, and people. Most of the stories seemed more fantastical than anything, buoyed by imagination alone. But still, Blaze read.

When her request for a pilgrimage had been accepted the princess could scarcely believe it. After five hundred years _she_ would be the first outsider to set foot on the planet.

The planet was cool in climate, far cooler than her own. Instead of the two suns she was used to this one had two moons, rendering most of the coastal areas unlivable during the winter seasons due to the violent tides. Blaze had never heard anything like it. Truth be told, she had expected the pilgrimage to be a rigorous three months filled with meditation, academia, and training. True to the old ways, the Xaoc religion focused on battle forms and chaos manipulation; a skill she had long mastered. But her expectation had been to be thrown into the studies; never had she expected she might find a friend.

Silver, her assigned guide, seemed to be a bit of a prodigy himself. His own chaos manipulation, though basic at a first glance, was so fine tuned and completely mastered that it surpassed more complex manipulations like her flames.

Today, he led her through the heart of the city, beyond the church walls. They had opted for lighter clothing, the midsummer sun battering the stone city with little reprieve. The streets chattered with life, sapients walking up and down the neat cobbled streets and merchants advertising their wares from their shaded stalls.

High above, Blaze noticed bright streamers carefully being hung above the street, sounding out the syllables of the still foreign writing. One of the xaoc, a pale brown bat reached out, hands shining with dim chaos manipulation, only for the energy to surge and tug harshly on the streamer. Her companion struggled to keep her balance as the banner was sharply tugged. Blaze couldn’t help the giggle.

“What is the… Umbra’s Light Festival?”

Temporarily distracted by a stall with several savory snacks, it took Silver a moment to see what Blaze was referring to. He brightened like a flame, both at the subject and her reading.

“Hm? Oh!” The streamers ended in two silvery circles on each end, familiar to the hedgehog. “It’s a special celebration! Usually the days of the celebration don't line up with a lunar eclipse, but this year is special,” he beamed, pointing out the two silvery circles on the end of the streamers. “It’s a double eclipse this year so the city’s going all out. Might last a couple more days instead of the usual three.”

Blaze was intrigued, ears pricked forward in attention. Her own kingdom had its own days of worship and celebration naturally, but rarely did they partake longer than one to two days. “What usually happens in these celebrations?”

“Well, Umbra’s Light is generally days of remembrance of the dead.” Silver’s smile softened here, becoming something far away and muted. “It’s a lovely festival. We mourn the lost but remember them with happiness and love. It’s not uncommon to see people crying and laughing.” He chuckled, walking closer to the edge of the street, where the shade was widest. “The first day is the rejoicing. Parties, food, games, and pictures of those you wish to remember are put up. If you don’t have a picture that’s fine though,” a gloved finger tapped against his chest, “remembering them is all you really need.”

“The second day is solemn.” He continued, words flowing easily to fall into the space between them. “You reflect on the past and what it means for you now,” Silver leaned in suddenly to whisper conspiratorially, “though many use this time to get the younger ones to clean up.”

Smiling, Blaze could nearly see the picture Silver was painting. A solemn morning where people carried through the day with a singular purpose in mind. 

“The third day is the last and biggest celebration.”

Whipping her head towards SIlver, Blaze balked. “Another celebration?”

“I told you, it’s a big deal!”

She couldn’t help her laugh again. “Well then, what crazy party is thrown then?”

“Well it’s similar to the first. Eating, drinking. The second day also doubles as a sort of preparation for the final stretch of the festival. The third day revolves around a rebirth of sorts.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Whenever someone leaves you, they take a little piece of you with them.” Silver’s hand ghosted over his heart, as if remembering. “And it's not easy, but we have to learn to live like this. It’s a choice to keep going, despite the grief and loss.”

All around them, the sounds of the city clamored for her attention, but Blaze found she only had eyes for Silver right at this moment. He looked at her, golden gaze warm and open.

“Who we choose to be is rarely ever who we were. So the third day celebrates the birth of a stronger you.”

Blaze thought about that. Silver was clearly no stranger to loss. And although their friendship had likely not progressed enough to grant her access to those guarded secrets, she was thankful nonetheless that he had shared with her this. A festival that celebrated both those who were lost and those left behind.

It sounded beautiful.

“I know very little about Xaoc celebrations and customs,” Blaze admitted, “but I believe this one might be my favorite.”

Smiling bright like the sun, Silver laughed. “Great minds think alike, I suppose.” At her confused look, he added, “It’s my favorite as well. A celebration of life, death, and the future.”

Their conversation ebbed there, the silence filling the space organically. As they walked, simply observing the city as she followed Silver’s gentle stroll, Blaze realized that she quite liked not being a princess. Not that she would ever abandon her responsibilities, but this, speaking with another skilled sapient as an equal, was refreshing to her.

The ties and restrictions of propriety that came with being a princess had all but been burned away on this planet. She had known they would in a way, but she had not expected to _enjoy_ it so much.

In the east wing of the city the buildings tapered off to a more open structure. Gardens that were cultivated and maintained by citizens could be found here.They had walked most of the way in a comfortable silence, following a path he knew by heart before Silver stopped.

“Here we are!” The young priest announced happily.

Before them was a modest, moss covered stone building surrounded by what looked like two _very_ wet garden boxes.

“Anyone can have a little plot for vegetables or flowers,” Silver explained, “and this one is mine.” HIs chest puffed out with pride though the ground seemed quite barren and soggy to Blaze.

She surveyed the rest of the earth with a neutral face seeing churned soil and a handful of sprouts. Many questions popped up, the first being _how_.

“The church won’t allow you any gardens within its walls?” Blaze asked instead.

“Ah, well no.” Flushed red, Silver looked sheepishly at the wet ground. “They said my gardening style didn’t fit the… _aesthetic_ that the church tried to keep.”

Snorting, Blaze knelt on the ground, examining the soil. It was too wet. In this area and with this amount of shade and moisture, most plants would drown and rot before having the chance to fully take root.

“I convinced the High Priestess to let me bring you out here to meditate. I can tell the Temple offers a different atmosphere and truth be told, I always meditated best in a more secluded area.”

“Actually, I don’t believe I’m in the mindset to meditate today.” Blaze peered near the moss covered building. Would it have any gardening tools within its walls? “Could I persuade you towards some unorthodox training, perhaps?”

Intrigued, Silver leaned closer. “Oh! Sure. What did you have in mind?”

Holding her hands out, Blaze smiled as she felt chaos spark and heat up in her palms.

“Oh, nothing strenuous. Just some _gardening."_

In a controlled flow, flames bloomed outward, scorching the ground with a delicate touch. The rotten plants burned away with little resistance, charred remains filtering into the drying soil. For a brief moment, her flames grew hot, far too hot for the task. But Blaze’s discipline was unmatched. Carefully, she whittled the greedy flames to be as precise as she desired.

Silver watched in horror as his new friend’s flames charred all of his hard work.

“Wait! Blaze, stop!” But she was focused, concentrating on controlling the direction of her fire, never allowing it to dance too close to Silver or another plot of land.

Hearing his cries, she turned to offer him another smile. It stopped him in his tracks.

“It’s alright, Silver. Just trust me.”

A bold request, from someone who had only met him weeks ago. But Silver found himself automatically relaxing regardless.

When she was done, Blaze tapped her foot against the ground, testing it.

“That should be good.”

“You wanna tell me now why you burned my garden?” Silver asked petulantly. He did trust Blaze, but he had also worked very hard on his plants.

“It was the quickest way, the plants were waterlogged and most of the roots had already rotted away. “ Blaze explained. “I believe you may have over watered them.”

Again, Silver looked at the ground, feeling his face heat. “Aren’t plants supposed to be watered?”

“Every couple days maybe, depending on the plant.” Blaze laughed. With the suns so powerful on her own planet, her people had become quite adept at growing all sorts of food in the most hostile of environments. “These sprouts are quite small, so you can begin by growing them in a small planter and transferring them over when they’ve gotten a bit bigger.”

As she explained possible ways to grow his garden (correctly) Silver found himself once again leaning in. Despite being a skilled chaos wielder, he was no stranger to being coldly corrected. Even Aleena, with all the care she held for him, did not hesitate to call him out on mistakes, pointing them out and highlighting them in a way that sometimes reminded him of the sharp tongued, green general. But when Blaze explained these concepts to him, however simple they might be to her, Silver did not feel demeaned or scolded.

Truth be told, Silver had brought his gardening this far out to avoid scrutiny. Even Scourge, who always sought to keep off temple grounds, wouldn’t have been able to resist rubbing Silver’s failures in his face.

Silver was attentive and Blaze was patient. Wrapped up in the steady work of planting the small plot, neither had noticed how far the sun had travelled across the sky until the evening bells rang out faintly across the greenery.

“Oh no, it’s almost dinner time.” 

Scrambling, the two put away the tools before making their way back towards the temple. The sun was just beginning to set, casting the streets into a cool shadow and offering a much needed reprieve as the pair made their way through the city.

The archway that marked the beginning of temple grounds welcomed them patiently, cool stone scrubbed clean by that morning’s detail.

Dinner was typically held in the secondary dining hall, priests of all ranks and temple staff intermingling and breaking bread together. The stone halls echoed with the chatter of those within, sounds softened by the thick tapestries that hung beside the windows high on the walls.

Choosing a table where the ebbing sunlight still hit Silver and Blaze settled into their meal.

“I thought this planet was predominantly inhabited by hedgehogs,” the cat said carefully, eyeing a table with three avian sapients. A purple swallow watched a large albatross and green hawk with an exasperated glare, the green hawk tossing something into his larger companion’s mouth. And even earlier that day, she had caught sight of bats and canines in the streets going about their day.

“A long time ago, maybe.” Silver replied easily, “I think it was hedgehogs and a handful of other nocturnal species. But up until five hundred years ago, we had a lot of trade with other planets, our population and species diversity boomed a ton.” 

Humming, Blaze nodded. It made sense.

The rest of their meal passed with comfortable conversation, Blaze regaling an eager Silver with all the boring details of her life. She had never considered her days to be anything but mundane. Of course she lived comfortably as the next ruler of her people, but nothing about her days or life had ever seemed to be anything of note.

The differences between their lives was stark, yet Blaze couldn’t help feeling that they were, in many ways, kindred spirits.

Nightfall brought a different light, the world giving way to darker hues as the early moon began its ascent. With no evening lecture, Blaze looked hungrily down the winding passageways that carved deep into the temple, reaching into the cool earth below with its ancient touch.

“What lies beneath the surface?” She finally asked, wandering near a hallway she had not yet seen. With so much time dedicated to her pilgrimage Blaze had scarcely had the time to fully explore and immerse herself in this world’s culture. The temple alone was huge and grand, a small town unto itself. And she had seen so little of it.

“Just some dusty rooms with ‘sacred relics’.” Though the words sounded interesting, Blaze resisted an eyeroll at Silver’s sudden haughty tone, sounding much like a purple hedgehog she had met on her first day here. For all her kindness, High Priestess Aleena carried herself with an aloofness all too familiar to the princess. Authority and responsibility tended to be a perfect mix for loneliness.

“If it’s truly as bland as your tone suggests, then why is it guarded?”

“Guarded?” Silver blinked, smiling when he noticed the two guards on duty. “Oh those guys? Soon as the lanterns come on they’ll be napping. We can go check it out right now though, it’s not restricted or anything.”

Blaze resisted the urge to frown. “I had expected something a little more exciting, but a museum seems interesting enough.”

“Oh it is! Wait til I show you the shattered chaos chains!”

Blaze smiled as she followed Silver down the hall, the guards nodding as they passed by. Not quite the adventure she had expected. The halls were well lit, light budding forth from the sconces carefully inlaid into the walls. She listened carefully as Silver recounted the story of the Third to ever take the contract, content to float amidst his words.

The ancient halls glowed with the caged firelight and echoed with Silver’s quiet conversation as he led his new friend through the mazing pathways of the temple museum.

“-the archives are just beyond that door and a lot of priests and guard members have to attend it for schooling to become familiar with the layout.”

Blaze looked between the hallways, the only difference between them being the fact that one curved slightly sharper than the other.

“Were they designed to confuse the casual visitor?” She asked, stifling another yawn. With no windows and only firelight, it was easy to become drowsy. She had seen some comfortable reading nooks near the archives. Surely no one would mind if she curled up in one sometime during her stay…

“Sorta.” Silver was a constant, bright smile waking her up better than any brewed drink could. “These halls are quite old and can seem maze-like. They circle back or just lead to dead ends, but most follow a spiral design.”  
  
Blaze nodded, “Inti’s eye. The symbol of the church.”

“Yes! I’ve read some cool theories that the idea behind the designs was to confuse Order.”

Blaze bit back her amused smile, cocking an ear to listen. “Oh? He exists then?”

“Well. why not?” Silver shot her a smile. “If Inti is Chaos, why should Order not counter him?”

Blaze shrugged, touching a smooth wall as they strolled. The idea behind Order was an old one, but not one that had much to back it up. He was more of a boogeyman than anything else, lurking in the odd story here and there.

 _“If_ he exists, I hardly think he might care about mortals.”

Silver made an ‘I don’t know’ gesture, grabbing a light from a sconce. “Maybe, maybe not. It’s not like we’ll ever know.” Rushing further down the hallway, Silver gestured for his friend to follow. “Come on, there’s one last cool place I wanna show you.”

As like-minded as she and Silver seemed, Blaze couldn’t wholly say they had the same concepts of what was ‘cool’. And yet, she huffed and followed the eager hedgehog down the spiraling hallway.

The further they walked, the more jumpy and excited the young hedgehog became, starting at the flickering shadows cast by the faux-firelight from the sconces. Blaze shot her friend an amused, lopsided smile as his quills stiffened at a particularly vicious shadow.

“On edge, aren’t we?”

Chuckling nervously, Silver patted down his ruffled chest fur. “Something like that. We’re actually in an older part of the temple now.”

Raising a brow, Blaze waited for him to continue. The path wound around them, the smooth cobbled tiles that decorated the paths stretching smoothly into the walls, the light glinting dully off of them.

“Before we closed off traffic, people from all over would visit to see the shrine.”

“Wait.” Blaze blinked, her step faltering for just a moment. “The shrine? The _emerald’s_ shrine?”

Silver chuckled, circling the corner to gesture widely. “The very same!” Wasting no time, he began pushing at the twin double doors. “Okay, _technically_ we’re not supposed to be here, but the emeralds haven’t shone in ages so it’s fine.” He said it quickly, like he was trying to convince both himself and Blaze.

“Each major Xaoc colony held one emerald, surrounded by replicas. That way, they’d be safe and kept apart.” The lock clicked open. “But five hundred years ago, the real emeralds went dull, so the shrines all closed down. Couldn’t have people finding out which emeralds were the real ones.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to be here?”

“Well,” Hand on the handle, Silver paused, “a lot of the younger priests dare each other to enter the shrine. We know the guard’s schedule and the few people who go off planet are pretty well known. So… yeah!” He grinned brightly, but Blaze hardly felt reassured. “It’s fine. Stories say they went dull when the god Chaos disappeared. They’ve all been dull for five hundred years so it’s not that exciting but-”

As the door swung open, the glow of a glittering light caught his eye.

Silver froze, staring dumbly into the shrine room. Upon a small pedestal, the chaos emeralds had sat for five centuries, dull and dark.

Until now.

Sucking in a breath, Silver blinked twice, expected the jarring light from the green emerald to disappear any moment.

It didn’t.

“Oh.” He said faintly. “Shit.”

In the softly lit living room of Amy’s hut, Sonic was having a hard enough time paying attention through the ringing in his head. It didn’t help that everytime he tried to get a word in edgewise someone would immediately speak over him. Except for Amy who kept trying to dab _something_ on his head.

Sonic winced as the sting of alcohol touched the scrape near his head. “Amy seriously, I’m fine.”

“The cut on your head _just_ closed, Sonic. Let me just apply-” she huffed in frustration when Sonic blinked out of sight. “You’re not supposed to use your speed!”

“It was just a little bump.” The lanky hedgehog shrugged.

Upon finding the final chaos crystal Fleets had released control of his body, leaving him more than a little disoriented. So much had happened, Scarfz propped up between Tails and Buck until dark arms had taken over. He wasn’t sure if it had been Terios or Cuffs, but the disorientation had eased soon after and Scarfz had promptly fallen asleep.

The day after found them here, back in Amy’s house, poring a large map that took up most her her center table. Squinting at the map, Scarf could make out some familiar names of the place they’d visited over the years. In a corner, not too far from Seaside Village, someone had penciled in a wobbly circular-ish approximation of Angel Island.

Tails strode in, switching off his communicator. “That was Knuckles. He said he’ll be back with Tikal and the others sometime tomorrow. Apparently, they wanted to show him an echidna game involving lots of tall pillars and a lot of falling.”

“Oh yeah!” Amy brightened, “Tikal told me about it. They played it even as nomads but it apparently is much more fun to play with a proper court and arena. I guess they must have found one on Angel Island.”

“At least Knuckles is having a good time.” Sonic winced as Amy’s hands finally found their mark.

Ever since their return, both Amy and Tails seemed wary. Alert. Sonic brushed it off at the time. The past few weeks _had_ been eventful to say the least, of course his friends would be worried. But in the two days they’d been back Shadow had scarcely spoken a word to him. A surprising feat considering the black hedgehog had involuntarily moved in with him for the nights at least.

Fleets had discontinued their training for the week (a choice that followed the increasingly heated glares from Tails and Amy), and yet every morning Shadow awoke on the same couch. The damned god was nothing if not consistent.

Days passed, a typical morning ending with Sonic waking up just in time to catch a glimpse of Shadow leaving the hut, sometimes managing to yell out a groggy ‘shut the door’ after him if his mouth caught up quickly enough with his brain.

Disgruntled, Sonic turned over in his hammock. But the chill that rolled off the morning ocean seeped through the open door. The dripping sunlight poured in, humidity and chill mixing and chasing away the remaining glimpses of sleep that he had. Moaning unhappily, the hedgehog kicked out his feet, blearily staring at the door. The stupid, open door.

Shaking off a chill, the lanky hedgehog yawned. With an ease that seemed more akin to water, he rolled out of his hammock. Even with the door closed, the sleep was too far for him to begin to chase once again. 

It wouldn’t kill Shadow to shut the door, would it? And even then, what could be so urgent at seven in the morning that he couldn’t wait to storm out.

“It’s like he can’t stand to be here.” The first words of the day were always the loudest. These resounded not only in the quiet, but with a hidden sort of truth. The thatched roof rustled in the wind, it’s whispering reply seeming to agree with him.

The thought was an odd one, settling in Sonic’s mind uncomfortably. It wasn’t his _job_ to make Shadow comfortable. They’d both been tossed into this situation against his will. 

But.

If he were offered the same deal tomorrow, his life or a contract, Sonic thought he might still make the same choice. Fleetway had talked about the responsibility of it all but… so far it seemed pretty manageable. The training was a pain and Fleetway aways seemed to be waiting for something.

But that wasn’t anything Sonic needed to worry about.

Tugging his bandana into place, Sonic began getting the quick process of getting dressed. Surely, there couldn’t be too much more to this ‘contract business.

Crimson eyes opened slowly to stare at the ceiling above. Alarm flooded his senses, the soft press of his bedding an unfamiliar touch. 

Stifling a sigh, Shadow lay still, allowing his senses to recognize where he was. The adrenaline continued to flow through his veins but after countless seconds his hammering heart finally slowed. 

Waking up in new places… he hated it. At least in caves, the ground and damp air was striking enough to remind him _exactly_ where he was. But here, on the soft couch he woke up in, his senses were muddled enough until he caught the sound of another person breathing.

Coming down from the ARK, Shadow could feel the drain of energy in Sonic. Not as hollow as it had been, but he’d been barely conscious. Buck… the other blue one… had handed him over, watching intently as Shadow scooped him up.

He hadn’t even thought about it before taking action. Just like before.

But then there were too many eyes on him, watching. _Observing._ It set all the hairs on his spine on edge, his own quills tensing to flare. The moment they landed Shadow shucked Sonic off to the pink one, leaving the first moment he was able to.

Even as he sped away he could feel their eyes boring a hole through his back and he hated it.

The golden god hadn’t forced them into any hellish training for the remainder of that week, citing the need for ‘rest’. Shadow had scoffed derisively but made no comment. Fleetway might have taken that as a challenge if he were in such a mood.

There had been… too much on the ARK. A forgotten graveyard that rotted in the frigid grip of space. He hated the fact that they had forced him to return to that place. The cruel reminder of his past.

When Shadow had emerged from the pod, weakened and half dead, he remembered mourning. Mourning the loss of the sister he’d thought he had. The cruelty he had suffered. The scientists on the A.R.K. must have crafted that weakness just for him, forcing him to rely on someone for safety and comfort. They knew what they’d been doing when they sent in Maria to tend to his wounds, how he would have come to look forward to her visits and even endure their treatments only to see her again. 

That mistake would be the first and the last of its kind. Friends and family… were all a means to an end. And Shadow refused to be used by anyone ever again.

Even when Eggman had found him, lost amidst the rubble of a desert town, he hadn’t said much. The doctor had nursed him back to health. Gifted him modified skates. The scientists on the ARK had fitted him with a pair of rocket shoes at some point. No padding. Using them so long had left his feet scarred from the burns. At least he could remove the pair Dr. Robotnik had given

The scars on his soles had long since healed, but still Shadow loathed removing his skates and seeing them. Better to keep them covered much like the scarring on his forearms.

So Shadow walked. Through the forest, crossing a small plain before going over a rocky, hilled area. He had no idea where he was going and it didn’t matter. No matter where he ran or laid his head to rest, he’d wake up each morning in the same place

At first he’d hated it. The disorientation and panic pinning him in place until he recognized the unfamiliar beams and the breathing of another person. It was always that noise that grounded him. The existence of another breathing person.

The A.R.K had always been too loud or too silent. The chatter of scientists or absolute quiet of his cell, Shadow had never known peace, except for-

Shaking his head, Shadow kept trekking. The environment around him was enough. The chittering of insects and gentle swoosh of the wind enough to keep the silence at bay but not overpowering his senses. The day turned to dusk and despite the hollow in his belly Shadow did not stop.

They had timed him once, long ago. He could go weeks without food if needed.

It was another couple hours before the black hedgehog slowed his pace, realizing his feet had taken him to another dense forest. The night was quiet and dark, the half moon hidden behind clouds. Grunting softly, Shadow settled beneath the roots of an uprooted, gnarled tree, closing his eyes as the dry grass rustled and parted around him willingly..

Generally, he preferred caves for their natural protection, but he suspected he would not be able to enjoy a cave for longer than a couple of hours before he was inevitably returned to the so-called ‘hero’s’ home.

But, the warmth of the hut was nice. He had collapsed onto the couch (deceptively comfortable) on particularly tiring evenings, but refused any offer that required him to linger any more than necessary.

No matter how tempting it seemed, Shadow would not fall prey to the same traps as before.

Settling into the roots, Shadow stared into the darkening trees, the gentle hum and whispering of the woods lulling him into a trancelike doze. The loneliness he chose could be suffocating at times, but Shadow had no choice but to bear it, the alternative being too much to consider.

Sometimes it felt like… there might be something more. Something further than he’d ever known that might fit into the hole he’d been carrying in his heart for years now. 

The whispering of the trees soothed his mind, dulling the sharp, angry thought. As Shadow fell asleep beneath the lure of the darkness, he thought it a peaceful way to fall.

Before Shadow could even open his eyes, he already knew where he was. His mind blessely remembered falling asleep amongst tree and root. Though the couch was softer than any cave floor, he stretched briefly, listening to the sounds of the room before giving any further indication that he was awake. 

Off in the corner, Sonic snored lightly.

“You awake?”

It took every reserved ounce of Shadow’s allotted patience for that day to not start at the sudden voice in his ear. He ignored it.

“Psst…. Shadow… Little one... Are you awake?”

The beginnings of a snarl curled on his lip, but it was far too early to put any energy towards it. “If I say no, will you leave me alone?”

“Unlikely. We have training today!”

Rolling over, Shadow was intent on ignoring the voice of the very annoying form of Chaos. “Pass.”

“But you’ll like it. Promise!”  
  
“Hard pass.”  
  
The curve of the smug smile was nearly audible. “It’s battle training~”

Shadow hadn’t begun cooperating with the training because he was suddenly eager to become a Sentinel or whatever it was that Fleetway called it, but he had been right about one thing.

The Ultimate Lifeform’s battle skills were paltry.

“Oh, so you’re just going to pelt me with chaos spears until lunch time, then switch to chaos blasts around one? Your lack of creativity is a shame to all hedgehog-kind.”

Fleetway clicked his teeth. “Not a hedgehog, and also _no._ You two are going up against each other!”

Now that caught Shadow’s attention. Slowly, so as to not excite the god, he turned over, red eyes blinking blearily in the sunlight that was already flooding the room. Gods. He really needed a screen for his corner. He preferred caves, but if he was to spend his time unconscious here he might as well have it fitted to his liking. He levelled a glare at Fleetway, who was floating upside down this morning.

“Explain.”

Mornings weren’t usually Sonic’s forte. Between his napping and late night gaming sessions at Tails’ or Knuckles’ place his sleeping schedule was pretty atrocious. So when he woke up to both Fleetway _and_ Shadow raring to go for training he was kinda sure he was still in some wacky dream.

“Okay….whas’ happening…. You two don’t get along.” He mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Nonsense.” Shadow scoffed, tossing something straight at Sonic’s head.

Far too slow, Sonic yelped as his sneakers clocked him clear in the quills. “Dude, what the hell!”  
  
“You let them hit you, that’s your own fault.” Shadow snapped lazily. “Now get dressed.”

Grumbling, Sonic tugged his shoes on. “Are we going _now?”_

“Clean out your ears, Sonic.” Shadow growled, pacing his recently claimed corner of the hut. “Battle training. Right now. Let’s go or I will leave you.”  
  
Considering he hadn’t left before Sonic had woken up this time, he doubted that.

“Nuh uh,” smirking, the hero decided to test some of the newfound push in his corner. “I don’t know about you Shads, but I never train on an empty stomach. Let’s grab some breakfast first.”

Lip curling, the black hedgehog glared him down. “We don’t have ti-”

“No no, he’s right!” Fleets was finally chiming in, at first content to watch their prickly interaction, but now seeing an opportunity for amusement. “Mortals need to eat. You spend so much of your time eating and sleeping… but it’s a necessity!”

“Come on dude, my treat.” Stretching, Sonic shot Shadow a friendly wink, but was all too unsurprised when the hedgehog snarled back.

“I don’t need your charity.”

Shrugging, Sonic tugged on his other shoe. “Suit yourself. Pay me back then.”

The hero had gone on and put both shoes on, wrapping them nicely in his signature sports tape before he realized Shadow had gone unusually quiet. 

“I don’t have any money.” He finally said, unusually aggressive, as if daring Snic to make fun of him for this simple thing.

Sonic blinked, before slipping into another easy smile. “No worries, Knuckles or Sticks never have money either. Oh! I know. How about a favor, if you’re so intent on paying me back.”

Rightfully suspicious, Shadow narrowed his eyes.

“Nothing crazy. Just uh, if you leave before I wake up, you mind closing the door on your way out?”

Shadow blinked. That was. Clearly not any request he’d had been expecting. “What?”

Sheepish now, Sonic ruffled his quills nervously “It’s not a big deal, but when you leave some mornings, the draft makes it kinda chilly in here. Wakes me up.”

It was a simple enough request. Too simple. Shadow felt inclined to suspect some underhanded behavior. But as hard as he looked at Sonic or thought through it, he could find none.

“I will consider it.” He acquiesced graciously,

“Great! Alright breakfast time and then training then.”

Unusually pumped from this tiny bit of cooperation from the surly hedgehog, Sonic jumped to his feet.

The walk into the village was uneventful, Sonic managing to fill the empty, quiet space that Shadow left behind with inane drivel. Having nothing better to do, Shadow listened. From the things Sonic was telling him he was forming a very clear image of what the village was truly like.

It was terrible.

“I should have destroyed this place when I had the chance.” Shadow chimed in, nonchalant, after Sonic haggled with a vendor for their breakfast. The vendor had tried to up the price of the breakfast buns, claiming Sonic had crashed into his stall at some point or another and this was ‘only fair.’

Sonic did a double take, clumsily catching the bit of meat that nearly fell out of the bun.

_“What?”_

“Hm” Chewing lazily, Shadow realized this was his first meal in days. He shoved the rest of the bun into his mouth soon after. “I said,” he swallowed, “I should have destroyed this place when I had the chance.”

Sonic squinted at him, handing him another breakfast bun from his quills. Suspicious, but hungry, Shadow accepted it wordlessly.

“Are… you going to?”

“Nah,” the black hedgehog said around a mouthful. “Probably not."

And while the words weren’t totally reassuring, Sonic figured that might be the best he would get for now.

They walked to the edge of the village before stopping. Normally, they met at the clearing they usually trained at on their own time. This would actually be the first time they’d arrive together. Sonic thought it was nice. 

“Race you to the clearing?” He asked.

“Racing? How immature. I’ll crush you like a maggot.”

Laughing, Sonic leaned into a runner’s crouch. “Says the hedgehog who just scarfed down two breakfast buns. You’re totally gonna get a cramp, dude.”

Shadow scoffed, crouching slightly. “I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I don’t get cramps.”

A wicked grin stretched across the blue hedgehog’s muzzle. “Hey Shadow, you still hungry?”

“No, actually. Those two breakfast buns-”

“Cuz you’re about to eat my dust! Readysetgoseeyathereloser!” Whooping with delight, Sonic was sprinting down the path in a burst of brilliant blue.

Cursing, Shadow sprinted after him, rocket skates blazing to life. The blue hedgehog had a headstart on him and Shadow growled as he pushed himself harder. But something else gathered in his mind as they streaked down the grassy knoll. The briskness in the morning breeze and the warmth of the food in his belly were such a welcome change to his normal days. Even Sonic’s laughter wasn’t as grating on his ears as it normally was. No doubt a product of being forced to spend so much time together.

The run out was a little further than normal. Fleetway having been wary of the proximity of the village. They arrived with little fanfare, Sonic proudly touting his stolen victory.

Floating patiently in the center looking more like a lounging cat than a god was Fleetway, blinking blearily at the two.

“Oh, you two took your sweet time. Are you quite sure you’re ready now?” 

Rolling his eyes, Sonic tossed the god something he pulled from his quills. “Quit your griping, I brought you one too.”

It was so easy to forget that, without a physical form, Fleetway couldn’t touch anything. Sonic knew that. Fleetway knew that. And still, the god leaned forward, and watched the meat bun fly straight through his outstretched hand.

It landed on the ground with an unceremonious smack.

Fleetway looked like he might cry, smile wavering like jello.

“I’m sorry! I forgot!” Sonic rushed to pick up the pastry, carefully dusting off the dirt.

“How could you forget?! What part of _physical tether_ is hard to get?!”

“Hey! You reached out for it!”

“Because you _threw_ it at me and said it was for _me!”_

Shrugging, Sonic tucked the pastry back into his quills, much to Shadow’s disgust. “Sorry dude. How about I eat it during our break and you possess me so you can taste it?”

If it was possible for spiraling eyes to turn huge and watery… Sonic stepped back, a small groan escaping his mouth. “Oh dude… your eyes-”

“No take backs! Right, let’s get today started. I think you’ll quite enjoy this…”

The training was nothing like what he’d shown them thus far. This time, Fleetway floated down, feet touching the ground. Sonic blanched as he realized the god was. Not that tall.

“Is your height _literally_ just your hair?”  
  
“I take my form from my chosen. I was disappointed too.”

Ignoring Sonic's indignant sputtering, Fleetway grumbled something about it being flames and not hair. He jumped straight into the teachings and if he added a couple inches to his height in the process that was no one’s business but his own. 

Unsurprisingly, it was Shadow of the two who caught on quickly.

They had worked on basic forms, agility, and strength for the past weeks. It had taken far too long but _finally_ Shadow could see how all of those things came together. Once the basic paths had been taught, it was merely a matter of linking the different pieces together. 

An odd calm settled over the shining clearing. Despite the warmth of the sun and the sweat on his brow, Shadow felt at peace. Never had the anger in his veins quieted so completely during a fight or a spar of any sort. The scowl on his lips softened, following and committing the movements to memory.

“Fighting isn’t only memorizing moves.” Fleetway said quietly. “You cannot think yourself above anyone. Take each battle with humility and respect. A smart, untrained opponent can topple even the best of warriors with the right circumstances. Never let that circumstance be your pride.” Even with the ever present smile, his words seemed to be steeped in an old sadness.

Huffing, Shadow jabbed out another punch. He wasn’t here to take any life advice. He was forced to be here. Maybe that kind of mentality worked for others but he was the Ultimate Lifeform.

Beside him, Sonic seemed to be struggling with the forms. A flaw he easily covered for with quick improvisation. Fleetway could see that there was some raw potential there, the blue hedgehog quick to add onto the forms he was practicing. Never losing the element that made him _him._

A snort cut through the quiet air. “You look ridiculous, hedgehog.”

Sonic blinked at his companion’s tone. It was the first insult of the morning that didn’t completely sound like an insult. “Yeah? Well you look…” He trailed off, mind grasping fruitlessly for a comeback, face screwed up concentration

“Take your time, I’m sure thoughts don’t easily come to you.”

Surprised, Sonic let out a bark of laughter, the jolt of it nearly making him lose his balance. “Says the guy who went after me after Eggman poorly edited a video of me insulting you.”

Rolling his eyes, Shadow lunged into another perfect kick. “I owed him.” He said it quiet and even. Uncommon for the sharp-tongued hedgehog.

“A favor to Eggman. Blegh. Can’t say I envy you then.”

An odd sorts of half-smile threatened to quirk at Shadow’s lips. “No. I don’t suppose you can.”

“Speaking of the Egghead,” Sonic yawned, his odd attack morphing into some sort of breakdancing move. It looked horribly inefficient. “He’s been rather quiet recently. Part of me wants to be suspicious, but I don’t wanna mess with the peace, y’know?”

“I don’t. You and your god have been snatching every moment of peace I’ve had for the past… how many weeks are we at now?”

“Don’t be a drama llama Shadow.” Sprawled properly on the grass, Sonic yawned. “C’mon let’s take a break. I’m pooped.”

Pulling a face, Shadow took a clear step back. “There are literally bushes around us. Disgusting.”

A couple seconds passed before the words clicked in Sonic’s mind. A bubbly, ugly snort forced its way out past his mouth.

“What! No!” The guffaws seemed to echo, Shadow caught between confusion and exasperation. “I’m not! I’m _tired_ , Shadow! That’s what being pooped means!”

Shadow stared at the wheezing blue hedgehog. That was. It didn’t make sense.

Ears pinned to his head Shadow crossed his arms, lips curling into a sneer. “Forgive me for using proper words then.”

“Sure, sure. It’s alright if you didn’t know what it meant, just caught me off guard.” Sonic chuckled, rolling to his feet. “I won’t laugh next time. Promise.”

Heat flushed the Ultimate Lifeform’s face, the tips of his ears burning. “Whatever. I don’t-”

“You don’t need my pity, yeah. I think I’m starting to get the spiel.” Looking up to the distracted god, Sonic waved a hand. “Hey Fleets, we done here?” 

“Hm?” Blinking, unfocused eyes drifted back to the two hedgehogs below. Their conversation had seemed to lull the god, the comfortable bickering reminding him of another time. Of past Chosen and their guard. There were still two chaos crystals to find. But at least the two that had belonged to his past chosen were safely in the possession of the echidnas, and soon they would rest. “I think… we can actually call this an early day.” He decided abruptly. “You have worked hard and I’m glad to see some amicable conversation for once.” 

The chuckle seemed to only bristle Shadow more.

“We’re _not-"_

“But if you’re fighting, I _could_ of course suggest more bonding exercises.”

Both Shadow and Sonic recoiled at that. ‘Bonding’ exercises tended to mean grueling, tortuous exercises. And chaos spears. So many chao spears.

“We’re good!” Sonic chirped happily. “Super friendly!”

At Shadow’s threatening lip curl Sonic shot him a tight smile. “Right, buddy? Or have you forgotten about last Tuesday?”

Blinking, Shadow thought back to the day. The scent of singed fur filled his mind at the memory. It had not been a good day. 

Growling, he forced his fur to settle before nodding. “Friendly.”

At the agreement, Fleetway’s smile widened. “Wonderful to hear! Very well. See you tomorrow!” Winking, the god blinked out of existence. It was odd for him to agree to let them leave so early, but Sonic wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Well! Looks like we have the day off, huh Shads?” Grinning triumphantly, Sonic chuckled. Oh, the day was ripe with possibility now! He could find Tail, hadn’t hung out with his little buddy in a long time. Or see if Knuckles was in town with Tikal. Or even see if Amy had anything new cooked up.

Or he could _nap._

The day, once tedious and a chore, now seemed to be overflowing with both exciting and relaxing ideas.

“I’m actually kinda hungry again. And look at that it's almost lunch time! You up for some grub?”

Shadow thought it odd to eat again so soon, but food was food. And even on the ARK, he had never denied it when offered. “I suppose.” He sniffed, Sonic’s open gaze both irritating and pressing.

They ended up in one of the two dining areas known to Hedgehog Village. With such scat choices, there was only one place that Sonic and friends ever ended up at. 

Meh Burger was surprisingly empty for the lunchtime rush, the entirety of its pavilion open to the two hedgehogs. 

Mouth already watering, Sonic strode forward, ignoring the glassy eyed look that always seemed to be etched onto the intern Dave’s face. “Heya, can you give us two Meh Burger combos?”

“Sorry, fresh out.” Dave the intern drawled. 

“Out? But there’s no one here.”

“It’s the lunch rush.”

Sonic blinked. The pavilion was entirely empty save for the two hedgehogs. “But there’s no one he-”

“This is taking forever.” Abruptly shoved to the side, Sonic watched as Shadow strode forward, expression stormy. “There is very little stopping me from blasting your pathetic food stand to next week save for the promise of a mediocre meal. I suggest you get started on those orders _now_.”

Now this, Dave remembered. Another hedgehog. Shorter but with the same color and features, here with other Sonics only weeks ago. Squeaking out a terrified assent, the intern did his best to school his expression.

“I-I just remembered! We have some b-burgers ready to fry in the back.”

Red eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “How convenient. Get to it then.”

With a speed that rivaled Sonic’s, Dave was out of sight. A number was tossed Sonic’s way, the hero blinking in surprise at the quick turn of events.

“Wow! On the house too!” Maybe there was something to be said for hanging out with a Shadow. He wondered idly if this was how Buck had befriended Terios. The two seemed amicable, if not close.

Shadow huffed. “For having to deal with such scum? I should have gotten paid instead.”

Chortling at the image, Sonic chose a table. The day was a brisk one, but he enjoyed the breeze and shade nonetheless. “Thanks for that, man.”

The sharp gaze snapped to him, alert and suspicious. “For what?”

Above the pavilion, a bird sang contentedly. Sonic closed his eyes beneath the pale rays that reached through the covering. “Having my back with Dave. For the food.” Sonic shrugged. “Take your pick. I owe you one this time.”

Shadow snorted, fighting off the warmth the words brought. Genuine thanks was not something he heard often. “You should be embarrassed to need ‘back up’ for such an unworthy opponent.”

“Hey, cut me some slack. I already fight so many people outside this village, I don’t have the energy to fight people inside it too.”

It seemed a waste to Shadow. To dedicate so much energy and resources to the protection of something so… 

“Mediocre?”

Sonic’s words snapped Shadow out of the easy trance he’d slipped into, realizing now that his train of thought had been vocalized this entire time.

“Yes.” He said with finality. “Say what you will about it. This village is mediocre.”

But Sonic only shook his head, a softened smile settling across his features. It made the hedgehog seem less and more infuriating at the same time. A contradiction. “That’s not why we do it, Shads.”

He sounded tired. Despite the fact that Shadow knew they had only trained a fraction of their normal time. A weary trail followed the words into the air.

There was no response in Shadow’s mind to follow that, so he offered none. In silence, they waited for their food to arrive. When it did, accompanied by the pathetic scraping and mutterings of Dave the Intern, they ate in silence.

Every now and then, Sonic would chime in, filling the peaceful space with a comment, observation, or recounting of something he thought Shadow might wish to know. With several good nights rest behind him and two meals in his belly, Shadow found he actually didn’t mind quite as much as before.

Infinite was not someone who took just any job. A mercenary by trade, he had the luxury of choosing what jobs came to him and his. He didn’t make it a habit to visit the planet he’d been born on, having evaded arrest there one too many times early on in his life. But the planet held Scourge. Arguably, his closest friend. A fact many might pity but the jackal didn’t mind all that much.

Life on the planet had not been easy for him, never one for the military or religion. He’d struck out on his own at a young age, coming back every now and now and then, his visits tapering out over the years.

But even then, even after years of no communication, when he’d appeared on Scourge’s doorstep half-dead and exhausted, the hedgehog had had no judgement or expectations of him.

Pack members were not easy to come by, and Infinite valued the ones he had, both on planet and on his ship.

Leaving Xaoc was a quick affair. Burdened with a brand new, sturdy cloak the jackal left the checkpoint portal, loading onto the small transporter that would lead him to his ship. It wasn’t fancy, but a far cry from the pathetic shuttle he’d started off with. 

The entrance door hissed open, the jackal squinting through the dim lighting. Two pairs of dark ears pricked towards him.

“Heya boss.” Nova grinned, standing to greet the pack leader. “Thought you said it was gonna be a short trip?.”

“I got held up.” Infinite shrugged, nodding to bother Nova and Axel. The two youngest of his pack so far. “Where’s the rest?”

Axel, a burlier, brown jackal jabbed a finger behind him, leaning over the array of trinkets he’d been inspecting. “Back in the mess hall. Gadget kicked me n’ Nova out.”

A twitch of the lips gave Infinite’s amusement away. “Oh? Did you break something of his again?”

Axel huffed petulantly. “No! But Miss Rouge came back and I just was having a little fun-”

That already bode little good news, Infinite’s fur bristling in warning. Rouge was a recent addition. Less a pack member and more a contract hire. Gadget had vouched for her and considering they all had been born on the same planet, Infinite had decided to test the thief out. Unfortunately, some of his pack members needed to remember some lessons in _modicum._

“Did you say anything. Unprofessional?” Words was low and dangerous, Infinite levelled a look towards the jackal. 

Axel was young and bold and Rouge was… A confident woman. At the very least, she had allowed Gadget to discipline the young jackal instead of taking matters into her own hands. A detail that did not go unnoticed or unappreciated by Infinite.

“No. I just made a joke is all-”

“He asked Miss Rouge if he could show her the Lance Dance.” Nova answered flatly, shooting the now sheepish jackal a dirty glare. “And _not_ the traditional one with actual lances. The one with the grindin’ and the-”

“Yes. I get it. Thank you, Nova.”

“I didn’t think she’d know what it was!”

“You idiot.” The older jackal glared. “She grew up in the capital too of _course_ she knew what that was!” He huffed, tucking his new cloak underneath his arm. “You’re on scrubber duty.”

The brown jackal blanched, eyes growing wide in a way that made him look more like the pup he was acting like. “Wha- No way, that’s no fair!”

“I’m letting you off easy. I’ve seen Rouge kick a small meteor straight in half.”

Nova whistled lowly, eyes glittering with interest. “You’re bluffing.”

“Insult her again.” The jackal shrugged, making his way out the hangar. “You can find out yourself.”

The mess hall was less of a hall and more of a common room for the ship. The ship wasn’t very large, all members sharing a sleeping quarter, the common room, and hangar. But it was plenty for the small pack.

Gadget sat bent over his latest repair, with Infinite’s second in command, Sirius, sitting across from the red wolf. Rouge was comfortably curled up in one of the armchairs.

“He returns.” She greeted warmly.

Grunting an affirmation, Infinite tossed her a small can.

“What you requested.”

“Oh!” Eyes shimmering happily, Rouge popped the lid off, shoving her nose straight into the can. “Oohhh I can’t believe they still sell these!”

“What is it?” Gadget peered over, nose twitching interestedly. It smelled oddly tangy and… sweet? The spices were a complex array.

Cupping the tin, Rouge shook it excitedly. “Chapulines! Fried grasshoppers. Except _these_ are from the street I grew up on. No planet does them the same.” She shook the can happily once more before gathering her poise. The bat nodded her head graciously towards Infinite. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grumbled, shoulder’s threatening to draw up at the stupid, happy smile that crossed Gadget’s face. “Really, don’t. It sounds like Axel gave you enough trouble today so. We’re square.”

Humming contentedly, Rouge opened her tin again. “I should have requested ten of these.”

“You could always go down yourself.” But the bat only shook her head, winking playfully.

“Now why would I do that when you’ve brought me some?”

Shaking his head, Infinite tapped the tablet to get Gadget’s attention.

“Grab the rest of the pack. I’m going to brief you all on our next mission.”

“Now?” Next to the wolf, Sirius narrowed his eyes. Having met early in their careers, Sirius knew Infinite the longest after Scourge. Meeting his gaze evenly, the pack leader nodded. He knew how the black jackal hated to be kept in the dark.

“Yes. Now.”

Wordlessly, Gadget rose to his feet. The silence in the room felt taut, with even Rouge losing the sleepy, relaxed aura she had possessed only moments before.

“Is everything alright, boss?” Sirius’ voice was low, daring this show of insecurity in front of an outsider. But Infinite’s expression revealed nothing.

“It will be. Let’s wait for the rest.”

One by one, the rest of the squad filed in behind Gadget. Axel, Nova, and a half-awake Ven.

Waiting for them to get settled around the table, Infinite watched them.

Long ago he had abandoned the thought of any pack or family on Xaoc. With the exception of Scourge, there was nothing left for him there. No one who knew him. This pack was the closest he’d get.

“We have a new job. Now that I’ve conducted my personal affairs, we’ll get to it.”

He avoided mentioning that it had come from a Black Arms drone. Having been at war for generations with countless civilizations, including his own home planet, it would doubtless be a negative reaction. As mercenaries, Infinite wasn’t quite so precious about where his jobs came from. He only had two rules.

No Black Arms. And no shrine robbing.

The chaos emeralds were the worst kept secret, but were fiercely guarded nonetheless. An emerald in each shrine on seven different planets. They were kept separate and safe. Infinite had lost count the amount of times sapients had swaggered up to him, offering him riches in exchange for an emerald. Each time, the answer was the same.

He did not raise a hand against the church.

In reverence to the planet that had raised him. And the friend who dedicated his life to it.

This broke one rule. But Infinite could find it in himself to look past it.

“The retrieval of a rare, ancient artifact. A gem called the Phantom Ruby.” As he expected, Rouge’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Our source tells us it’s far away from any known planets. It’ll take us awhile to even get there, but once we’re there I’ll only take two pack members and Rouge.”

Nodding firmly, the jewel thief smiled. “That explains why I was brought on board all of a sudden. Although I haven’t heard of such a gem outside of storybooks.”

Infinite coughed a humorless laugh. “Right. Gadget. You, Nova and Axel will stay on the ship while Sirius, Ven, Rouge and I go down to the planet. We only have an approximate location. A nowhere planet far away from any known established civilizations, no data on how it’s guarded or by who.”

“Sounds a little risky, boss.” Sirius spoke up. Infinite couldn’t fault him. This was out of character for a variety of reasons.

“The payout will be enough to settle us for good.” It’d been a sum he couldn’t ignore. He and his pack could start new anywhere they wanted. _Do_ anything they wanted. A little risk was worth that outcome.

“You said this gem is an artifact… what kind?” Rouge leaned forward. “I know a thing or two about powered gems.” She smiled, thinking of stories of the beautiful, glittering chaos emeralds. Locked away from the public eye. 

What a waste.

Infinite shook his head. “Unclear. It’s powerful and isolated. That’s all I know of it.”

Sighing, the bat leaned back. Infinite continued with his briefing, covering the remains of the details swiftly.

It was over soon enough, each member of the pack returning to their assigned duties in preparation for the task ahead. The travel time alone was substantial, even considering the speed at which their ship could travel.

Sighing softly, Rouge stretched her wings, already lamenting the long days she would spend cooped up on board. Hailing from the mountains on the Xaoc planet, she was quite used to flying regularly. A luxury she would miss until they next touched ground.

“This is why I prefer local missions.” She grouched, though only Nova shot her a sympathetic glance.

“Long flights are rough,” Gadget agreed, watching as Infinite left the room, “but I’ve found that it’s good time to do some research. Get some knowledge about what we’re getting into.”

Rouge giggled, kicking a leg out to tap against the metal flooring with a soft tink. “Careful there lover boy, stare any harder and I might think you mean something entirely different by _research.”_

Instantly, the wolf jumped, fur bristling. “What! What does- I don’t-!”

It was too much. Rouge laughed, knocking her head back with the force of it. The sudden laughter caught Gadget by surprise, the wolf blinking at her as the red flush left his cheeks.

“I’m sorry!” She gasped. “I really didn’t mean to tease. That was actually quite rude of me.” Laughter petering out, the white bat composed herself quickly. “But we may as well get to know each other if we’re gonna be stuck on this ship for… how long did he say again?”

“Weeks.” Gadget grouched. “But there’s plenty of work to do, so you don’t have to worry about boredom.”

With a satisfying crunch, Rouge tipped a couple more grasshoppers into her mouth. “Yippee.” Space travel was not her strong suite. The bat much preferred exploring cavernous ruins. The danger and intrigue of her job always seemed to lead her to interesting places. And space was _not_ that interesting a place. So quiet and cold.

“Y’know, we used to tell scary stories about outer space.” She recounted idly. “Back home.”

“You mean the Xaoc planet?”

She hummed. “That’s the one.” After a moment, Gadget chuckled, the wolf putting away some of his tools.

“I think scary stories about space are pretty par for the course.” Somewhere down the hall, Rouge could hear Nova talking to someone. Axel, most likely. “I used to hear all kinds of stories, but it’s really not that much different from flying.”

Rouge thought about the stories she’d heard as a child. Their deity was one of light and energy. So it made sense they wouldn’t feel too keen on the dark and quiet. And that was all that space was. Orderly, some of them might say.

“Well, I hope they’re just that.” Closing her tin reluctantly, Rouge tucked her snacks away. Comfortable and with a full belly, she thought she might settle in for a nap, feeling drowsiness wash over her. “I’m not too keen on joining the pools just yet. As lovely as a soak sounds right now.”

Gadget waved goodbye as Rouge stepped out of the mess hall. He knew how wary Infinite was. Hiring Rouge and bringing her onboard was not a common occurrence. But if Infinite said this job was a good one that was more than enough for him. Rouge seemed like she’d fit right in anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lorebit: Xaoc colonies are still out there and some do still have contact with the planet. The war with the Black Arms rages ever on.
> 
> \--
> 
> Thank you for your patience! Hectic days but writing this story is always a joy. 
> 
> We now have a discord server! Mainly for Chaos Barren and the Uncle AU I write for a_gentle_dab. It's a place for lore, art, discussion and good times. Strictly no spoilers for the story are on the server so don't feel too worried! We're a small community but if you'd like to join we'd love to have you!
> 
> https://discord.gg/Y5AZzAbwjq


End file.
